On The Edge of Temptation
by Naomi loves Calvin and Hobbes
Summary: "You know that reason we couldn't be together, Zuko," Katara turned her body towards him, holding a slight frown on her face. Zuko frowned. "Well maybe if you had the sense to see what was right in front of you, rather than a twelve year old little kid—!" -The struggle of how even the most noblest of people can fall short of self control, and fall into the depths of temptation.
1. Chapter 1

**On the Edge of Temptation**

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**...**

**Chapter 1**

It's been five years since the war ended, five years since firelord Ozai's defeat and Azula's take down. And honestly, I never anticipated it turning out this way. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the war is done and over, I just...I'm surprised at how things turned out.

Zuko was now the firelord and Mai was the firelady. It all went so fast; Zuko getting the throne and Mai...becoming his wife. It just seems like yesterday when Zuko joined "Team Avatar". But I guess I should be happy for them. I mean, today _was_ their one year anniversary, and they _did_ invite me to come, but it just feels awkward, like, I shouldn't be here. It felt weird being in the presence of other princes and princesses, generals, and warlords, etc., etc. I was just me, Katara, princess of the Southern Water Tribe, but that was nothing compared to them. I was like a pebble in the midst of pearls!

"You seem disturbed by something, princess Katara," a waiter said, "may I offer you something to drink?" I grabbed at the small glass of water that was sitting on the drink platter. He smiled politely. "Would you not like any fire whiskey, princess?"

"You can call me Katara, and no thanks, water is fine." He bowed and walked away. I sighed and slowly sipped at my drink, watching all of the prestigious couples dance, smiling at a couple who decided it was right for them to make out in the corner. I shook my head, "Young people these days."

"But you're still young, too," a husky voice said behind me. _Zuko. _

I turned around to look up at him. He was wearing a suit; a dark red sharp-looking, and well-fitted suit. It fit well, it made him look very handsome, and when he smiled, it was a bit overwhelming. "I'm grown."

"You're 19."

"I'll be 20 by—"

"...the beginning of the winter solstice, late October," he finished. "You're still a teenager, the youngest here probably," he laughed at this.

Placing my water on a nearby table, I frowned at him, "Could you be even more of a jerk, Zuko?"

He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad you came. Katara."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," I said nonchalantly, returning to my water.

"I know," he said proudly, not catching the sarcasm in my voice. "The gardeners planted some fire lilies the other day, your favorite flower... did you want to take a walk in the royal garden or something? I would love to show you them."

"Well…I guess we could do that." Startled, he eagerly grabbed at my forearm and pulled me out towards the exit of the ballroom. As we pushed through the crowd and out the door, I was completely stunned. The garden was beautiful. A white rocking bench sat above a patch of well-tended grass. A bed of snapdragons and tiger lily's encircled around a small pond. There were roses and lilacs everywhere, with a few other unnamed unique, beautiful flowers.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"This garden is so beautiful," I said, walking towards the edge of the pond, where a family of turtle ducks splashed around.

"Yes, it is. It's my favorite place to be, actually."

"I wish I had something like this back home..."

"You could've had it here, you know..." he started

I turned away from him. "You said that we wouldn't speak of _that _anymore, Zuko."

"That doesn't mean I can't feel regret over what could have been." He threw a piece of bread at the hungry turtle ducks. "Sorry. I just…I'm angry that we wasted so much time. We could have been together a while ago…and the fact that we weren't still gets me.

"You're a married man, Zuko," I calmly stated.

"Can I not reminisce over the past?"

"You know that reason we couldn't be together, Zuko," I turned my body towards him, holding a slight frown on my face. "We were in the middle of a freaking war! There was no time to get serious!"

"Well, maybe if you'd had the sense to see what was right in front of you, rather than a twelve year old little kid—"

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Thanks for reminding me again about the mistakes I made with Aang, Zuko."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, allowing a small flame to come out of his mouth. "All I wanted, _back then_, was for you to return my feelings. Besides, Sokka and Suki were in the middle of a war, too, and they managed just fine."

"Whatever happened between us was way more complicated than their relationship ever was, Zuko. Besides, it's not like you ever bothered spelling it out to me," I poked him hard on his chest, "and Aang…he was always there."

"I thought I spelled it out perfectly! It was obvious!" he plopped himself on the rocking bench and growled. _Yes, growled_. "Of course Aang was always there, the guy practically worshipped you. I wouldn't have been surprised if I saw him with a tattoo that said 'Katara' on his chest!"

All the tension was broken when I laughed at his comment. "That is true, but at least he could control himself when he was around me."

The corner of Zuko's mouth pulled down, but he screwed it back into a placid stare. "You're kidding. I controlled myself around you just fine for years, or have you forgotten?"

"That was before we started getting intimate..."

"I was even more controlled afterwards."

Sitting down next to him, I gave him a confused look. "Yeah, because every time we were alone, you wouldn't try to pry my clothes off," I said in a sardonic tone.

"That's pretty rich coming from the girl that never tried to stop me." I opened my mouth to speak, but immediately closed it once I heard someone walking up behind us.

"Zuko," Mai's cold and bored voice hastily made Zuko and I turn around, "when I ask you to bring me a drink, I didn't ask you to chat with one of your former girlfriends." Her eyes widened once she finally got a full look at me. "Oh, never mind...it's just you, Katara."

Raising my eyebrows, I placed my hands on my hips and said, "Well, I'm happy to see you too, Mai. Happy anniversary."

"Katara, I didn't see you standing there," she gave me a small smile. "But thanks. I'm sure I'll be at one of your anniversaries sometime soon, right? There are some handsome princes back at the party, I'm sure you'd love to meet them. Or are you and Aang still..." she waved her hand around in a circular motion.

I laughed. Not a big laugh, but a small sign of amusement. "Aang and I? I don't even know what we are anymore. He's always travelling, doing his avatar duties and giving speeches on peace throughout the nations."

"How disappointing?" Mai said in such a tone, I thought she was being sarcastic. "But wasn't there another guy in your life? At least I thought there was...wasn't there?"

My eyes flickered up to Zuko's. "No there wasn't."

"Oh, well that's disappointing," she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed dramatically. "Well, I'm sure you'll meet someone soon, but if you'll excuse us, Zuko and I have some post anniversary things to do. Ta ta." With a wave of her hand, she and Zuko walked away.

**...**

***Please Read & Review. Yes, I know it's short, but this is just the first chapter. As you may know I haven't really written anything thing since my past two Unexpected stories. So I'm actually just kinda seeing how this story will go. But please give me some input on what you think. And before you question, this will be a Zutara fanfic with many other pairings as well. Instead of just jumping in, I decided to start the story out slow so don't expect too much romance just yet, but there will be plenty in the upcoming chapters. So if you read, please review, give me some feedback on what you think! Thanks!**

**Naomi Loves Calvin and Hobbes.**


	2. Chapter 2

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**...**

**Chapter 2**

"So, how was it?" Toph asked. She slowly sipped at a cup of hot tea.

"How was what?"

"The anniversary, Sugar Queen," she rolled her eyes. "How was the anniversary? You haven't talked about it at all, it must have had not gone too well..."

I shrugged and followed her suit, sipping at my own hot cup of tea. "It was ok. The food was great."

She nodded at me. "How was Mai?"

"Great."

"Zuko?"

"Ok," my voice barely breaking to frustrated tone. "You should've come, there were many men there that you would have loved to meet. Prince's, generals, advisors, they were all there."

She pointed to her tongue and grunted. "My love life doesn't matter right now. Besides, if I want a handsome prince, I could easily set myself up with one." She gulped down the rest of her tea and smirked at me.

I frowned. "You don't need to brag, Toph."

"I wasn't," she stated simply. "Did you hang out with Zuko a lot?"

"He's a married man now."

"Oh, right, because you definitely care about him and Mai." She narrowed her eyes at me, but I stayed quit. "Fine. Let's pretend you don't fantasize about him taking you on one of the palace beds."

"I don't."

Toph rolled her eyes and stood up. Shaking her head slowly she said, "You know, Katara, you really need to take some lying lessons. You suck at it a lot. I'm sure you could go down to the mental facility and Azula good give you some tips. I could never tell if that girl was lying."

"Thanks for the advice, Toph. I'll make sure to book myself an appointment."

"I'm serious, Katara. You know how overprotective Mai is about Zuko when it comes down to him hanging out with girls," she told me. "She didn't even want _me _around him, and the guy is practically a brother to me."

I grunted. "Whatever, it doesn't matter to me."

"Ok," she said slowly. But before actually walking out of the room, she turned around, "Oh, and by the way...Aang's here, and he's desperate to see you."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Still no words seemed to form. This was usually our typical dinner routine. We were simply enjoying each other's company; Sokka, Suki, Aang, Toph...they didn't need words. It was my favorite time of day: dinner time.

But _he_ was acting so different. I felt his emotions shift slightly. He wanted to talk and he didn't know what to say. I raised an eyebrow at him. It was not like Aang to beat around the bush. I huffed into my tea. "What?"

Aang, completely startled that I had called him out, swallowed his food and placed his fork on his plate. "It's nothing."

"Then why do you keep staring at me like that," I pointed my fork at him, completely unaware at the tone my voice was in.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, Katara. You've changed..."

I scoffed loudly. "Well, it has been a while since you've seen me, Aang, what do you think has happened? I know good and well I haven't gotten any younger." I could hear Toph snickering from where she was sitting.

"Katara, calm down," my brother said. "Give the guy a break."

"Oh, because he hasn't already had enough of that," I continued to stare at the bald headed monk I used to call my boyfriend. Picking up my napkin from off my lap, I placed it on my plate and stood up. "I've suddenly lost my appetite to eat. Excuse me." I walked away from the table and headed back to my room.

"Good job, Aang," I could hear Toph say.

"What did I do?" he stated calmly.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I really wish Aang hadn't come back," I mumbled softly. With a sigh I fell back against the pillows of my bed. "I don't think he understands what he did, or if he knows what he did." It had been a very late night, or a very early morning depending on how you looked at things. I couldn't sleep at all. "I really wish things weren't so awkward around us."

"And that's where I come in, right? To help you fall asleep?"

I lazily glanced over at the young man that I had invited into my room. "Yeah, something like that. I guess..."

The guy, whose name was Kang, rolled his eyes and lied next to me, placing his arms behind his head. "Katara, this has been the second time this week you've invited me into your room to help you 'fall asleep', and the—"

"...Yeah, yeah, I know seventh time you came into my room and we haven't done anything. I get it. You don't have to rub it in my face, Kang," I could hear him laugh beside me. "What? I know that's what you were thinking."

"I wasn't," He had rolled his eyes at that and heaved a long suffering sigh. "But I mean, if you wanted to..."

"Can't you just support me emotionally without the whole sex part in this relationship?" I asked him.

He rubbed at his chin and grunted. "I could, but that wouldn't be any fun." He smiled at the expressionless frown I gave him. "Kidding, you know if you really wanted to talk about feelings or whatever, I'm sure Suki would love to listen."

"True," I turned away from him and lied back flat on my back, staring up at the high ceiling, "but talking about my feelings with you is just so much more exhilarating, you know?" He shook his head. "I guess I just get more of an excitement talking with you, seeing how our relationship is."

"What would you call this relationship, Katara?" he said without a moment of hesitation.

I shrugged as best as I could on the bed. "I don't know. I've known you for about a year now...I can honestly say you're like a best friend to me."

"With benefits," he added.

"At times," I corrected.

"Like now..." He commented, sitting up in my bed. "Let's actually do something while I'm here."

"You could help me clean up," I said, a little bit oblivious to what he actually meant. He tilted his head back and laughed heartily. I placed a hand over his mouth and shh'd him, "Will you quiet down?! I don't want the whole palace to hear you in my room, especially my brother."

"Sure," he accepted, giving me a small suggestive smirk. "Let's have sex, Katara."

"Get the hell outta here, Kang," the command was nonchalant, but he knew I was being serious. I wouldn't say that I was startled, because it wasn't the first time Kang had mentioned this to me.

Kang was introduced to me by Sokka; apparently they became best buddies during the post war drama. Yet, I couldn't lie, Kang was an attractive guy. At 21, 6'2, he was handsome, that was obvious, with his lean frame, a shade of brown curly hair and brown eyes, and a smile that would honestly melt you if you didn't know how to contain yourself.

"Come on. I'm serious."

"So am I. The door is that a way." I sat up with him and gave him a confused look. "Besides, I thought we talked about this. I'm attracted to you, but I don't like you like that, at least not like _that_."

"That's why it's perfect," he reasoned.

"Do you even find me attractive?"

"Honestly?"

"Duh."

"I like your eyes. I'd never thought I would see big beautiful blue eyes," I was caught off guard, "that compliments your mocha skin." He was serious. "What about for me? What do you find on me that's just so attractive."

"Your lips." I said. "When I first saw you with Sokka you were smirking a little bit and you looked like you might be a good kisser."

"I am," he said with a suggestive wink.

"You swear you don't want anything more from me than sex?"

"Why are you asking me that? You know how you girls get. All attached and whatever," he joked. "We'll still be friends, Katara, you don't need to worry about that," he said before leaning in.

I raised my eyebrow at him and pushed him away. "Who was worried?"

"No one," he said hastily, leaning back into me.

I pushed him away again. "Hold up."

He dramatically sighed, "ok, what?"

I held up one of my fingers. "My brother, Aang, the group, my dad...Zuko—cannot find out about this," I said firmly, gesturing between the small gap between our chests. I paused; distracted by the fact he was still half holding me. "This is just...our little secret, okay?" He nodded. "This will not get passed along to your guy buddy friends no matter how bad they want to know, excluding Toph—"

"Why exclude her?"

"She knows everything that goes around here in the palace." I tried thinking of some more rules, but was quickly cut off when Kang leaned into kiss me. "I can't believe we're doing this."

** ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

So it was _hot_, like, his shirt was already off, and she was just lounging around in it. Well, at least that's how their heartbeats were making it seem like, and it's not like she couldn't pick up the vibrations, and it's not like she meant to find out what was going on. The young earth bender was just casually minding her own business, calmly walking by the room when suddenly her ears picked up on a certain familiar scream. Yes, they were loud, mainly Sugar Queen (She was lucky Toph was the only person in the palace at this time). This had been the 4th time this week. Weren't they tired of each other all ready?

Toph laughed evilly as a plan formed in her mind. She skipped down the hallway and stopped suddenly, knocking on a door. "Knock, knock!" She said grinning. She heard moving and rustling of blankets along with some groans.

Katara's voice was heard first. "Yes?"

The earth bender smirked. "Katara, I was wondering if I could come in and talk to you about something. It's really important."

"I'm kind of busy..." a hint of irritation was heard in her voice. Toph could hear the faint sound of another voice that wasn't Katara's. She had company. "If you're purposely trying to annoy me, please leave, Toph."

"I had a question," she pursued.

"What do you want, Toph?" Kang yelled, clearly annoyed with her interrupting what he was doing with Katara.

Toph crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, disappointed that the couple didn't play along as she had wanted them to. "Fine, never mind then." But she stood her ground, waiting for one of the two to give in to her. She heard the familiar dramatic sigh Katara breathed out. _Success._

"Toph wait...Kang, could you...give us a minute?" The blind earth bender could practically feel the young boy roll his eyes. She laughed to herself, Sugar Queen was too gullible.

Hiding her smirk, Kang came out of the door shirtless. Holding his pants high on his waist he frowned at the cunning young girl. "This had better been something important, Beifong."

"Move it, pretty boy! I wouldn't have interrupted you guys for nothing," Toph pushed her way through into the room. "Oh, but I believe you would," she heard him mumble. She responded by slamming the door in his face and turning around to face Katara. "We need to talk."

"About?"

"You're wearing his shirt aren't you?"

"Maybe, why do you ask?"

Toph roughly punched her in the shoulder. "Why are you with this guy? First it was Aang, then it was Zuko, then it was Aang again, and now it's Kang? Will you pick who you wanna be with?!"

"Ow." She rubbed her arm. "Aang was a little kid when we started dating, that's why I started messing with Zuko, but when Zuko got back with Mai, I had to move on. When Aang left me, I moved on. Kang and I aren't in a relationship!"

"Then what are you guys?"

She shrugged. "I don't' know! Why does it matter to you?"

"I think I know that, Katara," The earthbender crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at her friend, "but the Katara I used to know, wouldn't just flaunt her body at just anyone."

"What the hell! Kang isn't just anyone, and I'm not flaunting anything! He came to me!" Katara placed her hands on her hips and huffed, "and don't get me started on flaunting body's at anyone, Ms. 'if I want a handsome prince, I could easily set myself up with one'."

Toph waved her hand around, dismissing the topic. "But you went with it! Why are you with him? Do you miss Aang that much that you have to have a guy with a similar first name?" the waterbender opened her mouth to speak, but Toph continued to talk, "and similarly he also is a master firebender, like someone else we know," she tapped her forehead, "I wonder who we know that is a master firebender."

"Geez, Toph, get a grip, were you freaking stalking the guy? These just happen to be coincidences, and so what? Maybe this is how I move on."

"Please. Save that lie for the priest," she scoffed. "When you and Aang broke up, you got angry at almost everyone. When Zuko went back for Mai, you practically bawled your eyes out and ate creamed ice all day, so don't go telling me this stupid lie, Katara." A small knock interrupted the earthbender train of speech. "What?!"

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um...I was just wondering if you guys were ok."

Toph frowned and turned to Katara who was blushing profusely. "Yeah, _Zuko_, everything's going great. I was just talking to Sweetness about of couple things that had been on my mind lately. Would you want to come in?"

Wide eyed, Katara hastily got up off of her bed and locked the door, giving Toph a threatening, knowing look. "Sorry, Zuko, but we're kinda in the middle of something...can we talk later?"

There was a slight hesitation before he spoke. "Um...sure, Katara, I was actually going to ask you if I could talk to you..."

Toph rolled her eyes. "You guys are pathetic. I'm leaving, Zuko, Katara here just needs to get dress. Come back in 10 minutes, she'll be ready for you," she turned to look at her friend and winked.

"Very well." The young prince walked away from the bedroom door.

When they were sure he was gone, the waterbender spoke up. "Are you crazy? Do you know I've been actually trying to avoid him?" She put her hand on her forehead and paced around the room. "Shit! You just had to go and ruin our little no talking phase."

"You act like you hate me, but I know that you secretly enjoyed what I just did." Toph held a mischievous smirk on her face.

Katara narrowed her eyes at her cunning friend. "Shut up." She pointed towards the door. "The door's that way by the way."

Toph started to walk towards the door. "Don't worry, I won't tell Kang." She slowly opened the door and went out.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"What are you doing here? You know that this is a private facility, Firelord Zuko wouldn't approve of this." The guard blocking the way of the entrance stood her ground firmly, tightly grasping her staff that was in her right hand. The young man stepped into the light and pulled off his hood. The woman gasped, clearly surprised at who he was. She immediately dropped her staff and opened the door. "I'm sorry General Sokka; I didn't know it was you."

The young man smiled. "It's fine, you were just following orders."

She led him down a long hallway. "I never knew the Firelord would ever send you down here. I always thought it would have been the avatar, or maybe your sister. No offense, sir, they just seem like people who would be more..."

"Helpful? Yeah, I know." Sokka chewed on his lip. "Apparently, they were all too 'busy' to come down here, and I was just the last resort, but it's whatever. There must have been a good reason Zuko choose me and not himself."

The pair continued to walk down the well-lit hallway, then making a right turn down another long hallway. "He probably didn't want to do it himself. He did beat _her_ you know." The water tribe boy nodded his head.

"I'm sure Azula would somehow figure out how to firebend again if she saw Zuko around here," they both chuckled softly.

They continued to walk in silence until they reached the door. It was a cold, solid, silver door with a big black lock on its right side. Sokka placed his hand on it, but then pulling it off quickly. "It feels like an icicle!"

"We keep her room cold...just in case." The guard seemed very startled by the comment. "Don't worry, it doesn't harm her. It just keeps her in check if her firebending decides to come back anytime soon."

"Aang took away her bending, I'm sure it won't be coming back," Sokka grimaced at the cold door, almost feeling a sort of sympathy for the girl. _Almost_. He sighed. "Alright, I'll be in and out. Keep the guards close."

The woman nodded her head and opened the door, allowing Sokka to step in. Giving him a small smile, she slowly closed the door behind him, leaving him in the cold, damp, cell room.

He looked around. He had never been in a cell room before, except the one at the Boiling Rock Fire Nation Prison. But this was nothing compared to that. The room was terrifyingly and big. Besides the cold, the room had very little lighting, except for two medium sized windows that allowed for sunlight to creep inside when it was midday or the moonlight during the night. In the silence you could hear the small droplets of water that would splash onto the ground. Looking down at his feet, he saw small mice roaming throughout the area, stopping to sniff at the new person that had entered their habitat. This was nothing like Sokka had ever seen. This was gruesome, even for the ex-fire princess.

"What are you doing here?" the voice he heard was soft, but as deadly as a viper's venom.

"Azula." The water tribe boy broke out of his thoughts and made his way towards her cell, though not too close. He watched as she slowly turned to face him, but letting out a small groan of pain as she shifted her torso. Sleeping on the floor had made her sore, and the coldness of the room wasn't making it any better. "You're hurt."

"Like you care, peasant." The words came out cold and heartless.

He almost laughed. "I think you should be the last person calling me peasant." As he said the words he dropped himself on the cold, hard floor and leaned against the wall facing Azula's cell. His eyes surveyed her critically from top to bottom, as if searching for something. She began to feel slightly amused at this.

"See something you like," she was smirking, but her words were very serious.

"Yeah, seeing you here in this cell."

"What do you want?" She inquired bluntly, narrowing daggers at him.

"To help."

She tilted her head back and laughed. "Help?" the boy nodded his head. "You aren't here to help me. Zuzu most likely sent you here to check up on me, because he couldn't do it himself. That coward." She held a deep frown on her face. "You don't need to help me."

He sighed. "I could help you, Azula."

She turned towards him, her face full of disgust. "You couldn't help me even if I asked for it. The firenation wants me dead, you all want me dead. What do I need help for?! The best thing that could happen to me is death. I bet your little water witch of a sister would love that, wouldn't she?"

"I'm not talking about her right now." Sokka tried to stay calm, but the girl just wouldn't cooperate with him, "I'm not here to hurt you, Azula. Maybe if you'd just cooperate with—"

"Cooperate?" She breathed out a small laugh, but her face quickly returned back to all seriousness. "You're pathetic, you're all pathetic! You don't know anything about me!"

"I do."

"No, you don't," she said, rejecting him. "The next time Zuzu wants some peasant to come do his work for him, don't come back here. He needs to send himself. Now leave, you've overstayed your stay," she calmly turned her back towards him.

"Azula," he reached.

"I said _leave_."

"You think I'm gonna listen to y—?"

"Leave!" The ex-fire princess quickly turned around and picked up a stone and threw it at him, hitting him square on his shoulder.

Sokka took a step back, surprised that the princess had attacked him...with a _rock_. He stared at her. This was not the Azula he remembered, this was not the crazy manipulative villain he had faced before during the war. He actually sensed true emotion from this girl, emotion hidden by rage and anger. Giving the girl one last look, he turned around and made his way out of the door. He would come back, he would help her.

**...**

***Please Read and Review. Yeah, so I decided to post two chapters instead of one. I wanted to give you guys a little more to chew on besides just the first chapter. But there you go, chapter two. And the POV (point of view) will possibly change. Though, I might just keep the POV in 3****rd**** person instead of first, just to give you a view of how everyone is thinking. Please give me any advice on what you think I should change or do or if you like it for that matter. If you read, please review lol.***


	3. Chapter 3

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**...**

**Chapter 3**

"Hey, Baldy," Toph called out. The young avatar turned around and smiled at his longtime earthbender of a friend. "What are you doing today? Attempting to make more world peace with everyone?"

He laughed. "A couple of generals and I are going out for dinner tonight. They plan on talking to me about some new strategies just in case another war happens to occur." He shrugged, "but I really doubt that would happen."

Toph grunted. "Sounds boring...but don't get your hopes up Twinkletoes, you never know what could happen. The people who are still for Ozai may still want revenge for what you did to the firenation."

"I hope not," Aang said with a nervous frown. "I really don't want a repeat of 5 years ago." He looked away. "And I know that getting the Gaang back together won't be easy."

Toph raised one of her eyebrows. "Why do you think that?"

"I just don't think it'll be the same, Toph, that's all." He held a small frown on his face. "Things have changed, we have all changed."

"Aang we're both 17, I think we both have been through some changes."

"No, no I mean..." he sighed, putting a hand on top of his head. "Monk Gyatso used to tell me that 'You must be the change you wish to see in the world, and if you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.'"

"You have changed the world, Aang." Toph placed a comforting hand on the airbenders shoulder. "Why are you worried about change so much?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I think that me changing the world as the avatar had an effect on us, the Gaang. We're not close like we were when we were kids. And I think it's because of me leaving..."

"What'd you expect Aang, we're older, we're not kids anymo—" Toph hesitated in her speech and turned towards where the avatar was. Though she couldn't see him, she could sense how he was feeling...guilt. "Wait, this isn't about the Gaang is it? This is about someone else." Aang stayed silent. "This is about Katara."

"I think I really hurt her, Toph. I was gone for a long time."

"Damn right you were," she mumbled.

"Maybe I should go talk to her," he stood up out of his chair. "Maybe if I talk with her, I could convince her. And maybe just maybe...we could get back together and things would go back to normal."

Toph stood up next to him and grunted. "Yeah, uh...maybe you should rethink that."

"No, no, something is telling me to do this!" He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned to sprint towards Katara's room.

The earthbender shook her head and sighed. "He's just going to have to learn on his own."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I didn't have a chance to talk with you after the anniversary," Zuko stepped inside of the waterbender's room and sat down in one of her chairs. "I thought you left pretty early, what happened?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened. I just couldn't take the whole royalty snobs up in my face any more." The corners of his lips curled into a small smirk. "What's so funny? I was being serious."

"I know," he said simply. He took a deep breath and sighed, suddenly interested in the carpet on the floor. "You've been avoiding me haven't you?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't call it avoiding. I would call it, keeping my distance away from you," her lips twitched, but she refrained from outright laughing at him once she caught glimpse of the small frown that was forming on his face. "I didn't want Mai thinking anything."

He rubbed at his face slowly, as if deep in thought. "You know, I was thinking about telling Mai."

"About what?"

"Us."

"There is no _us_, what are you talking about?"

"Before...when we were 'together'," he paused, "I think it's time for me to tell her. She knows about all my other girlfriends except you."

"Well that's the reason why," I narrowed my eyes at him. "I _wasn't_ your girlfriend."

He stood up and groaned. "You're making this harder than I had intended for it to be, Katara." Shaking his head, he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm gonna tell Mai about our little relationship we had, ok. She's been asking me all types of questions about us...?"

"No, _ok_," the watertribe girl stood up and poked her past lover hard in the chest. "What gives you the right to tell her? She doesn't need to know anything about us? Is she suspecting something? You promised that we wouldn't tell anybody, Zuko, you promised! We promised!"

"I know, I know!" He placed his hand on top of his head and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just that when she found out we were out by the garden during our anniversary, she got a little suspicious. I don't know why, but she did. And as her _husband_ I feel that it's right for me to tell her about us."

"Well I don't. Husband or not, this was our secret, ok," Katara tapped her fingers on her legs nervously. "Besides, if you tell Mai, the word will spread, and when the word spreads, our lives won't be the same."

"I can just tell her to keep her mouth shut—"

She shook her head. "That's not going to work. It'll somehow get passed around and later be heard known around the whole firenation. Then our reputation would be ruined, and every time someone sees us together they're gonna think we're in some type of affair. Geez, Zuko, for you to be Firelord, I'd thought you know about this stuff."

"Ok, ok, ok," he scowled at her. "I do, you just make it seem like more of a big deal than what I thought it was, like with everything with you," he mumbled.

"I'm just trying to protect us."

"I thought you said that there wasn't an _us_?"

She bit her lip and hesitated before she spoke. "There isn't," her voice wasn't as strong as before, and she was sure he had heard it. "I'm just trying to protect myself from rumors spreading about both of us."

He grunted, nodded his head slowly, "right, of course." A moment of awkward silence passed between them, where they just stood and looked at each other in a sort of confusion. The room suddenly felt so silent they could practically hear the rapid heartbeats of each other; the tension in the room felt even thicker. "Um...well, I should be going. I don't want to take away any more of your time." The firelord pushed himself off of the wall and turned to face the door. With a hand on the knob, he sighed and said, "I'm not going to tell her, Katara. Our secret's safe with us."

"Thanks," she mumbled silently, looking up into his golden eyes. With a small nod, he left out of her room without another word.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Good morning, Azula." Azula rolled her eyes once she figured out who had come into her cell. It was _him. Again_. "I hope you didn't miss me too much." The young man slid his back on the wall and sat down on the cold floor. "I brought you something."

She narrowed her eyes at him interestedly. "Oh, really?" He nodded his head and buried his hand inside the bag that hung from his shoulder and took out a large red blanket. "Where'd did you get that?" the ex-princess asked in an incredulous tone.

"I went in to your room—"

"You did what?" The girl stood up and gripped at the cell bars that were holding her back form chocking the watertribe boy. "No one goes into my room without my permission! Who the hell do you think you are! You had no right to...to..." Azula sat back down on the ground and placed her head in her hands, trying to calm herself down. "Why?"

Sokka sighed, not necessarily alarmed by her outburst. "Honestly, I don't know. Zuko told me about some of the things you held precious to you when you were younger. He said that this blanket was something your mother gave to you...?"

She scoffed. "And?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I thought you'd want something comforting—I don't know. Can't you just accept the blanket and be done with it?"

"No, I can't_ just_ accept it," she seethed.

"But it was from your mother."

Azula turned to look up at him; her golden eyes piercing through his soul as she stared searchingly at him. "So? Do you always accept things from your mother?"

"My mother is dead," he answered bluntly

An unreadable look passed over her face; he couldn't completely decipher her expression. "Well, think of my mother as the same." Sokka stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "My own mother...thought I was a monster...everyone thought I was a monster." That thought had plagued her mind for some time until it had completely consumed her.

"I don't think you're a monster, you're just misunderstood." Pushing himself off of the ground, he walked towards Azula's cell and sat down right in front of her. "You took control of people by manipulating them, by making them think of you as this strong ruler and if they didn't obey you, they'd die." Her eyes flickered towards the ground. "But once you get past that tough shell you put around yourself, you realize that there is a girl under there that needs someone to lean on, to trust in." He placed a warm hand on her hand and looked deeply into her eyes when she looked up at him. "Let me be that person you trust in."

She slid her hand out from under his. "How dare you touch me? Who do you think you are, coming down here acting all concerned? I can see though your façade, I know you are lying!"

"I'm not lying, Azula. When will you learn that I'm only trying to help you?" She shut her eyes abruptly. "Maybe if you let someone in to help you, you'd finally realize that someone actually does care about you."

She kept her eyes closed. "Do you care about me?"

He blinked, startled at the question, but quickly regaining composure. "I care enough to help. And if you can't see that...I guess I shouldn't be here." Sokka hesitated for a minute before turning around and slowly walking away.

"Wait," the voice was small, but the watertribe boy had heard it. He stopped in his stride and turned around. "Will you come back?"

The corners of his lips curled into a small genuine smile. "I will." He left the cell room with a sense of accomplishment. He had dented her shell, but he knew it was going to take some time to fully break in to it.

"How was today's session?" the female guard asked, closing the door behind him.

"Interesting. I think I'm on to something."

"Don't get your hopes up too high." She placed the keys back into her pocket and walked in front of him. "She is famous for telling lies, you know."

He nodded his head in understanding. "Yes...but I think I can get through to her. I just need more time."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Katara..." a small voice said behind her.

The waterbender slowly turned around to the person who had stopped her stride in walking. Holding in her irritation, she said, "Aang...I'm kinda in a hurry...I can't really talk with you right now."

"I know you're busy but I just wanted to apologize to you, ok," he walked towards his older friend and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I shouldn't have left that long. I should have at least sent you something, a post card or a messenger bird to tell you I was ok. I'm so sorry, Katara, I—"

She rose up her hand. "Aang, it's fine."

"No, it's not fine!" he exclaimed loudly. "I hurt you emotionally and I know that I am the avatar, but I should have realized that I had other duties besides making peace with other countries, I had other priorities...a girlfriend who—"

"Aang."

"...truly missed me. Who I truly love."

Katara closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Aang...things have changed, I have changed." His grey eyes stared deeply into her cerulean blue ones. "You were gone for so long. I didn't think that you would ever come back. And when you didn't return I thought you had forgotten about me, about us." She took a step back, allowing his hand to slide off of her shoulder.

"What are you saying?"

"I moved on, Aang, from you."

"What? You moved on...why?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Because I was tired of waiting, because I knew that you had forgotten."

"I didn't forget!"

"Then why didn't you answer my letters."

He hesitated, his attention suddenly being more focused on the grandfather clock that hung on the wall beside them. "I don't know...I just didn't, but I—"

"Apparently you didn't care for me that much then," Katara started to turn her body away from the young avatar, but he placed his hand back on her shoulder, making her stop.

"I didn't want you being concerned, Katara. I didn't want you worried."

"You made me more concerned when you didn't respond," she held her expression, trying to say calm.

He sighed. "Who'd you move on to?" he asked quietly.  
She swiftly turned herself back towards him. "What?"

"Who'd you move on to?"

"That doesn't concern you..."

"Was it Zuko?"

Katara tried to hide her amazement at how this boy had the audacity to think she had moved on, well, back to Zuko. "Me and Zuko never—we didn't, we—no, I didn't move ba—I didn't move on to Zuko. Why do you think that?" She silently prayed that he didn't hear that slip up.

"I don't know, I'm just throwing random names out there, and he was the first name to pop in my head," he shrugged, holding his head down once more.

Katara rolled her eyes and sighed, suddenly feeling slight sympathy for her ex-boyfriend. "Aang—"

"Katara!"

Katara turned around to see her lover of a week standing shirtless in his firebender workout clothes. _Great_. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Kang..."

The tall firebender walked towards her, holding a mischievous smirk on his lips. "Hey Kat." He leaned in and slowly kissed her on her lips. Holding in her want to kiss him back, she stepped back, breaking the kiss. "Katara, I've been looking for you all day. Where've you been? I asked everyone in the palace, and they just told me that you were with Zuko..."

Katara felt herself tense up as the name left his tongue. "Yeah, he had wanted to talk with me."

"Why?" he questioned.

"For...something he wanted...to do with the palace," she couldn't allow herself to look him in the eye. She decided to change the subject. "Where'd you go after Toph sent you away?"

He shrugged. "Back to my room, and then I went to train with Zuko a little bit later." Raising his eyebrow suspiciously at her, he asked, "What did Beifong want anyway? She seemed pretty determined into talking with you."

"Girl stuff," she said quickly, "Nothing that you would want to hear." She turned to look back at Aang who had the face of a kicked puppy. "Kang, um...this is Aang."

He looked behind her and smiled fully, holding out his hand. "Hey! My name's Kang; nice to meet you.

The avatar put out his hand and shook it, giving Katara an incredulous look. "I'm Aang, Katara's ex-boyfriend."

"Yeah, Katara's told me all about you guys," he said, not catching the disgust in Aang's voice. "You guys dated when you were 12 and she was 14, right?" Aang nodded his head. "For like 5 years."

Aang shrugged. "If you don't count the two year break we had, then yes 5 years."

"Oh, really, Katara never told me about any break."

"It was nothing important," Katara said, thinking about those few important months she had with her relationship with Zuko. The two gentlemen stared at her confusedly. "What?"

"Are you and Kang together?" Aang asked.

"No."

"Yes."

Katara frowned. "We're not together, Aang."

"But we come together in many other ways if you know what I mean," Kang said with a suggestive wink. The frown on Katara's face grew deeper as a small shade of red colored her cheeks. He shrugged. "What? We do."

The young avatar stared at the pair, shaking his head slowly, clearly oblivious to Kang's words. "So technically, you're still single, right?" he was speaking to Katara.

"...Yes."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"You've been doing what!?"

"Please hear me out before you go around making assumptions." Suki remained quiet, an unreadable expression painted on her clearly annoyed face. "Look, I know it's not something you would do, but Zuko thought I'd be a good candidate and I took the job."

"Yeah and crazy enough," the head Kyoshi warrior crossed her arms over her chest and let out a small huff of disapproval.

He took a deep breath. "Suki, I think I can change her."

"Change her?" she questioned quietly. "Why the hell do you need to change her? She's not your job to change! If anyone, Zuko should be doing the job! Why isn't his ass talking to her, she's his damn sister?!"

Sokka walked towards her and sat her down next to him. "Listen, Suki, Zuko knows that Azula won't listen to him, and the only way to make her listen or even try to listen is to bring in someone that she would mostly likely not...kill instantly."

"She'll kill you in a heartbeat. She'll kill all of us if she had the chance, Sokka."

He shrugged. "I don't know about that. When the opportunity was there she never tried to kill me. She always went after Aang or Katara, you and Zuko, and Toph maybe. But she would never attack me, at least, not how she would attack you guys..."

"What is it about Azula that you're going to change?! She's gone, Sokka. A completely insane bi—"

"No," he said, quickly cutting her off. "I think there's something still in there. Suki, please, you have to think about this."

"I don't have to think about anything!" she pointed out loudly. "It's Azula we're talking about, Sokka; Azula that tried to kill us not too long ago! Why can't you get that through your thick skull? She deserves to be in that cell she's in! She deserves it!"

Sokka placed a warm hand on her thigh. "Suki I—"

"You don't understand," she had cut him off. "You don't understand the things she did to me and the other Kyoshi warriors on that day we found Appa. She tortured us, Sokka, practically left us dead in the forest." She stared up at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't do this, please. I don't want you getting hurt the same way I did. I don't want to lose you, Sokka."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him tightly, kissing her cheek. She fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and sinking her face into his chest. "You're not going to lose me, Suki, I promise."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

***Please read and review! And there you go chapter 3! Slow update, yeah I know. I probably update Mondays for now on or just a week after I post a chapter. So, please review, even if you just skim over this, review, if you favorite, review, if you follow, review. In everything you do, please review, bad, good whatever. Tell me what you think and how I should change the story or anything at all. Appreciate it! Thanks***


	4. Chapter 4

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**...**

**Chapter 4**

"You know, I've been thinking about some things lately, and I was wondering if I could ask for your input on them," Mai lazily trailed her finger on her husband's desk then sitting on it once she saw that her finger was clean of dust.

"What is it that's bothering you?" Zuko asked, continuing to write something down in his scrolls, not even bothering to look up to the woman he called his wife.

She sighed out of boredom. "Are you going to be finished with that anytime soon? I really want to have your full attention."

Zuko smiled, but placed his utensil down and looked up at her. "Better?"

"Much," she moved the scrolls out of his reach and scooted closer to him. "I want you tell me something," she placed her hand on his cheek and rubbed her nail over his scar. "And I want you to tell me the truth."

"You know I hate that." He grabbed at her hand and placed it back on her lap. "Now what is it, Mai?"

"I want you to tell me a story..."

Zuko, holding in his glare and his opinionated words, reached for his scroll once more. "Mai, I really don't have time for games right now. The generals and the elders want me to finish up—" she smacked at his hand. "Mai!" She scooted closer to him and sat down in his lap, straddling his legs. "Don't do this, Mai, not here."

"Why not? I'm sure you've done this plenty of times with your other girlfriends."

Zuko placed his hands on her waist, picked her up and placed her back onto his desk. He stood up, "Is that what's bothering you? My other girlfriends, seriously?" Once she didn't acknowledge him, he had found his answer. "I thought we talked about this. My other girlfriends don't matter to me, Mai, you are my wife and I'm your husband. Are you jealous of—?"

"I'm not jealous!" she exclaimed louder than she has ever talked before.

The firelord hid his surprise and continued to talk. "Ok, well then if you're not jealous, why does it matter?"

"Forget it, you don't understand," she turned to leave.

Zuko stood up and grasped at her wrist. "Make me understand, Mai. What do you want from me? I'm your husband, what more do you want. If anyone, my past girlfriends should be jealous of you, not the other way around."

"It's not the girlfriends I'm worried about."

"Then what are you worried about."

She turned around to meet his eyes. "…you going back to them."

"Are you serious!" he questioned loudly. "After everything I just said about me being your husband and you being me wife, you think I'm gonna go back to them?" He let go of her wrist and squeezed at the bridge of his nose.

"Well I can't help it, ok! Every time we go out somewhere, you're always getting looks from the girls. They're lusting after you, Zuko, and I hate that."

"Of course they are going to be lusting after me, Mai," he laughed bitterly. "I'm the freaking firelord, and look at me; I'm a good looking guy, what girl wouldn't? Apparently, you fell for me, and look at this, I fell for you right back."

She sighed dramatically. "I just wish you'd treat me like how you treated your past girlfriends."

"No you don't," he mumbled incoherently. "I treat you like my wife, not like any of my past girlfriends. If I treated you like my past girlfriend's, it wouldn't be the same."

"And why wouldn't it?"

"It just wouldn't, ok!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "This seems to be a very touchy subject, Zuzu? Is it not?" He turned around, waving her off, and going to sit back in his chair. "It is. And may I ask why this is a touchy subject?"

"I don't understand you, Mai," Zuko had placed his scrolls back in front of him and continued to work again. "Why are you questioning me about my past life? Is there something I'm hiding from you?"

"You tell me."

"There isn't." he seethed. She rolled her eyes at this. Zuko did not know whether to think she did that gesture because she was annoyed of him or just annoyed of him talking, thought he was slightly surprised that he was unaffected by it.

"Then tell me about Katara," she questioned impassively.

He paused in his work and he was sure she had seen the hesitation. Looking up at her, he could slowly start to see why Mai had come into his office. It wasn't to learn about his past girlfriends, it was to learn more about him and Katara. He sighed and rubbed at his temples as he felt a pulsating headache start to form. "Katara and I were just great friends, there's nothing more to say."

"That's bull shit, and don't try to tell me it isn't." she slammed her fist on the desk, knocking over the bowl of black ink which splattered all on the documents and scrolls Zuko had been working on previously.

Zuko looked down at his papers and down at himself which also been splattered black ink on. "Leave."

"Zuko I—"

He raised up his hand, "don't...just leave. Please don't say another word." He put his head in his hands and grumbled something silently underneath his breath. "Leave, Mai."

Mai frowned slightly, but quickly recovered back to her emotionless expression as she gave a small nod and walked out the door.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Have you seen, Katara? I really need to talk to her about something," the firelord asked his Kyoshi warrior friend. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You told Sokka to go visit your sister in the Fire Nation asylum?" she tapped her foot impatiently. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Zuko placed his hand on his forehead and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know. I thought he would be a good person to console my sister. Now if you'll excuse me..." he tried to walk past her, but she caught him at the arm and pulled him back. He breathed out a sigh, trying to hold in his irritation, "Suki, I really gotta find Katara."

"And I really need for you to tell Sokka to quit going to see your sister," she shouted. "No offense, but I rather Aang or even you to go see her; at least if she tries something, you guys would be able to protect yourselves." She let go of his arm.

"Sokka's a skilled swordsman, I'm sure he'll be fine, Suki. Besides, Azula's bending is gone, she can't firebend."

"She's a good fighter even without her bending."

"So is Sokka, I'm sure it'll be a good match up," he turned around to leave.

She started to walk with him. "Are you high? Azula will kill him."

Zuko continued to walk forward, keeping his eyes on the hallway. "You have no trust in your boyfriend?"

She hesitated in her walk but quickly regained back into step with him. "I do...I just don't trust your sister. And don't try to turn this on me, Zuko. You know how your sister is!" she lightly hit him in the shoulder.

He stopped at a certain waterbenders door. "I know, Suki. But I'm not changing who I picked. Sokka's been doing fine with her lately. If you don't trust him, maybe you should tag along with him the next time he goes."

"What are you doing at Katara's door?" she asked suddenly, completely changing the subject.

"I have something...I need to talk with, 'Tara—Katara...Look, I need to talk with Katara, ok?!"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" he bluntly stated. "Just something I need to confirm with her, that's all." He placed his knuckled onto the door and knocked softly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really hope you'd leave—"

"What?! A manly voice answered from inside of Katara's room.

Zuko looked over at Suki who quickly looked the other direction. "Katara...?"

"She's in here, what do you want?" the voice asked again. "Toph, if that's you again, I'm definitely gonna tear—"

"It's Zuko." Pure silence overtook the room and the hallway. Zuko glanced down at Suki who held a small smirk on her face. Shaking his head slowly, he said, "Who is this guy? Is this Katara's new boyfriend or something?"

Suki laughed, completely forgetting the argument she and firelord were just having. "No, well, I don't know actually. It's Kang. He and Katara are kinda seeing each other..." she continued to laugh louder once the expression on Zuko's face showed pure discomfort.

"When did this happen? Why didn't she tell me this?"

"About a week ago and why would she tell you?" she continued to stare at his amusing face, suddenly grimacing. "Besides, it's kind of something I just found out too. Toph told me, actually. And I'm sure us three are the only people that know," she said pointing between the two of them.

Before the firelord could speak another word, the door opened, revealing Kang in nothing but a pair of pants and his boots. He rubbed at his chin nervously. "Zuko...hey."

"Hi," he said, resisting the urge to grasp the boy by his neck and choke him. "Is Katara in there? I really need to speak with her about something."

"Yeah," Kang said slowly. "But we're kind of busy right now..." he winked suggestively at him.

"Oh, don't worry it'll just be for a quick second," he placed his hand on Kang's shoulder and roughly pulled him out of the doorway. "Suki will keep you company. This will only take a quick second," he repeated.

Kang turned to look at Suki. "What's with him?"

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"So, Kang, huh?" Zuko crossed his arms over his chest and blushed, looking everywhere except at the waterbender in the bed.

"You shouldn't be in here," Katara straightened out Kang's shirt that fixed loosely over her petite figure.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like I haven't seen you before, Katara." She frowned deeply at him. "But, Kang, seriously?" He shook his head in a disgusted manner. "Wow, that's different."

"What do you mean by different?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "You mean, not you?"

He laughed. "Well, of course, he's not me. No one is." She stayed silent, and he realized he was making this awkward. "Look, I came here because I just got into another argument with Mai over you."

"And?"

"She's completely on to us."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Have you guys seen Zuko," a bored voice said behind Kang and the Kyoshi warrior. "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

Kang glanced at Suki who discreetly shook her head at him. Suki spoke up. "Have you checked his office? He's usually in there all the time." Mai nodded her head slowly, holding a small frown on her face. "Well then maybe he's in the kitchen?"

"Why do you have your shirt off?" Mai asked.

Kang, oblivious that he still was shirtless, shrugged his shoulders and grunted. "Oh, I was—"

"I don't see what the point of talking to her is! You already told her that there was nothing going on between us!" Katara yelled from inside of the room. "And don't come back in here unless you have an actual reason to talk with me!" Zuko angrily opened the door and walked out. "You could at least close the door behind you!"

"Yeah, and you could—" Zuko realized who was standing in front of him. He swallowed. "Mai..."

"Who were you talking to in there?" Mai asked, trying to see who was in the room.

As if on cue, Katara stood up in front of the door. "I thought I told you to close the d—Mai!"

"So this is what you're doing? Sneaking behind my back and having sleepovers with Katara when we have an argument!" Mai slowly turned her attention to Zuko then back at Katara. "I knew there was something going on with the two of you!"

"We were just talking, Mai," Zuko said, reassuring her, and trying to quiet her down. "Nothing happened."

"Then why is she only wearing one of your shirts."

"It's actually my shirt," Kang spoke up.

"I don't care!" Mai threw up her hands in frustration. "What were you doing in there, Zuko, with _her_?!" she gave the waterbender a disgusted look. "Is there something going on between the two of you that I should know about?"

"They were just talking, Mai," Kang spoke up, trying to help out his friends. "Besides, me and Katara are kinda together."

Mai shook her head. "So now the sluts got two boyfriends. Oh how wonderful, the day just keeps getting better and better!" She turned around to leave.

Zuko looked over at his ex-lover and gave her an apologetic look before chasing after his wife. "There's nothing going on between me and Katara."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Prove it."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"How'd you get that scar," Sokka asked, scooting closer to the cell. He stared at the jagged scar just below her neck that traveled down to God knows where, and another puckered line of pink that marked her cheek. She shrugged at him, picking at the dirt that had caked up in her finger nails. "You don't know?"

"It's not that I don't know, it's more like I don't really want to tell you," she calmly stated. "You probably wouldn't like it anyway." Her golden eyes flickered up to his as she smirked villainously.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why wouldn't I like it?"

She frowned immediately. "You did it. You gave this to me with that pathetic utensil you call your sword."

"Really?" he gave her a proud smirk. "I gave Princess Azula a scar that she'll forever have. I bet every time you look at it, my face appears doesn't it?" She let out a small bitter chuckle.

"Yes, actually. Every time I look at it, I remember your sword grazing my skin," she kept her eyes on the water tribe boy as she placed her hand on the scar, "the look of triumph on your face as you drew blood from your enemy. And the strong urge of wanting to kill you," she said in a chilling, dark, low voice.

"That's understandable," He responded simply, slightly catching her off guard. She expected him to pick up his belongings and run out of the cell room, screaming like a baby chip-monkey.

"It is?" She was dumbfounded.

He started laughing. "I probably would have a strong urge to kill you, too, if you did something like that to me."

"Except, you already had the strong urge to kill me," she stood up and walked towards him, placing her hands around the cell bars, gripping them tightly. "What I did to that Kyoshi warrior should make you angry. I threatened and tortured her, leaving her and her other warriors almost dead."

He nodded his head slowly. "She actually told me about that before I came up here."

"Really?"

"She said I shouldn't be helping you."

"You're kidding," the ex-princess said in almost a bored tone. "Anything else?"

He shrugged. "Nothing that's not already degrading you, but um, she actually said that you'd kill me if you had the chance..." She grunted questioningly. "Then she got into some other stuff...some words were said...hurtful words."

"She said all that?" Azula cocked her head to the side and sighed dramatically. "I'm so happy your girlfriend has me on her mind. At least someone still cares to remember me," she rolled her eyes.

"I'm here aren't I?"

"Yes. You're locked up in here with me completely alone, because Zuzu thinks you can transform me into this new woman that he thinks I should be." She gave him a small shrug. "When clearly he is the fool, a person cannot turn themselves into something unless they themselves are willing to turn in to it. It must drive you mad every time you come here. Every day is unchanging, unsuccessful," she hissed.

He stood up and shook his head at her. "I wouldn't call it unsuccessful. I actually think we've got a little connection. I've been seeing you for a couple of days now and I must admit, I really enjoy coming here," Azula snorted in reply. "I'm serious. Don't ask me why, but I guess I get a sort of relaxed feeling when I come here. Besides, once you get over the whole crazy 'I tried to kill you' exterior, you're quite an interesting girl."

"Interesting, huh?"

He nodded his head at her. "Yeah." He looked her dead in the eye, staring her down.

"Stop that?" She narrowed her eyes at him

"What?"

"Staring."

"What? I can't stare at an interesting girl," he countered, holding a small smirk on his lips.

She frowned at him. "Oh, you're making me blush," her sardonic tone made him laugh. "Seriously, Sokka, I'm sure your Kyoshi girl wouldn't appreciate you flirting with the ex-fire princess."

"Look, I'm just trying to brighten up the mood, that's all, and I'm not flirting," he pointed out.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well don't. You've already brightened it up enough. If you brighten up the mood too much, we'll both be going crazy." He laughed louder. "I don't see what's funny."

"You're pretty funny for a _crazy_ girl...that's also quite amazing," He sighed internally for his quick thinking, but Azula had caught him.

"Oh, please, save it," she rose her hand and walked back to her bed.

"_Shit_," he mentally berated himself for his stupidity. She had actually begun to open up to him and he destroyed all the progress with a single sentence. "You know," he tried changing the subject, "you never told me how you got the other scar...the one on your cheek."

She stood in front of her bed with her back faced towards him. There was a long pause before she spoke. "I had gotten into a fight at the academy. Some inferior girl thought it would be amusing if she made a comment about my mother who had decided to leave our family a couple days before." She hesitated. "I almost killed that girl," She breathed the words out so quietly, Sokka was tempted to ask her to repeat what she said.

"You truly did love your mother, didn't you?" She stayed still, showing no sign of an answer. Sokka sighed and stared at the young girl saddened at the mention of her possibly dead mother. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the key that he had secretly snagged from the guards keychain. Taking a deep breath, he slid the key into the lock and unlocked the cell. Stepping inside of the cell, he walked over towards the girl, turned her around and hugged her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, fascinated that he had enough courage to come into the cell with her and touch her. "If the guards see you, they'll..."

"Will you just relax and accept some help for once? Don't worry about them. Just...hug me, Azula." the words were sour in his mouth. Never in a million years did he think he'd be doing this to Princess Azula of the firenation.

Azula was stunned, but slowly wrapped her arms around him. He kept her attention on the open cell door that the watribeman had forgotten to close. There was something about Sokka of the Southern Watertribe that allured her. He challenged her and wasn't afraid. Whoever mistook him for a foolish goofball was gravely mistaken, well, at times she could agree with them. But he was quite a captivating person, with some dark places she couldn't even imagine that hid under that idiotic smile.

She shook her head slowly, deciding that this…_excitement_ for this boy was insane. She was a princess, heir to the throne; she had no time for a silly peasant her brother thought would _fix_ her. She sighed deeply. What if this whole set up was a joke, a hoodwinked antic that her brother and Sokka had set up. Was he just playing her?

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I haven't felt this way in a long time," Mai breathed. Zuko slid off of her and started putting his clothes back on. "What do you think?" She smiled at him while he was getting dressed. "It's been a while."

"It was okay," He simply stated.

She frowned, "ok?" He nodded his head at her. "Just ok?"

"Are you going to reference something towards one of my past girlfriends?" he asked unusually calm.

"I wasn't."

"Good," he slid on his boots and grabbed his duel dao swords and headed out the door. "I'm going to train."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I hope you're not mad about me and Katara," Kang said, shooting a fireball into the air.

"Why would I be mad?" Zuko asked, slicing through air as he finished a kata with his swords. "You're with her, there's nothing for me to be angry at. It's perfectly fine that you're with her." He bit the inside of his jaw, "In fact...you two look...good together."

Kang smiled, wiping a bead a sweat off of his forehead. "Really? Thanks, man. You're the first person who's said that."

"Well, I'm kind of the one of the first people to know as well," he stated, breathing heavily. "Why didn't you just tell me you and Katara were...together?" He grabbed at a cup of cold water that the servants had set out.

Kang shot out another ball of fire before talking. "Katara specifically told me not to tell you."

"Really?" Zuko sipped at his water, trying not to sound too interested. "Why is that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, grabbing at one of the cups and quickly gulping down the cool liquid. "Maybe she just didn't want you to know, I guess. She wouldn't tell me why when I asked her, so I have no idea."

Zuko grunted. "But apparently she told Toph and Suki."

"They're her best friends."

"Well, I am too."

He laughed. "You're a guy. We usually don't get that privilege of knowing girls secrets unless they really want to tell you." Zuko grunted again, but this time it was more so at his friend. "What?"

"You like her?"

A small smile appeared on Kang's face. He nodded his head, "Yeah, I really do." As if right on cue, Katara and Toph came out of the training room door and headed right for them. "Right on time."

"Kang," Katara smiled at him and kissed at his lips. Kang greedily returned the gesture. Zuko rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, breaking the couple apart. Katara frowned, "Zuko."

"Katara," Zuko grunted out, then turning his attention onto the earthbender. "Toph, I haven't—ow! What was that for?!" The young earthbender had punched him in the arm.

"I haven't seen ya in a while, Sparky," she said loudly. "You're always hanging out with Goth girl or Mr. Flirts a lot here."

Zuko smiled, but continued to rub at his sore shoulder. "Sorry, Toph, we can go have lunch some time and catch up."

"Better believe we will, because we need to talk!" she roughly grabbed at his arm. "Eww! You're all wet, what did you do, jump in a lake?!" She rubbed her hand up his arm, grazing his bare chest. "Are you shirtless, too? You're gonna give Sugar Queen a heart attack, put a shirt on!" The firelord raised his eyebrow at the waterbender who was giving the blind earthbender a disgusted frown. Grabbing at his shirt that had fallen on the floor, he slid it on. "That's better, now c'mon!" She grabbed at his hand and pulled him back inside.

"What was that all about?" Kang asked, still confused by the interruption.

Katara shrugged. "I don't know."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"So what's been going on with you and Sweetness?" she took a big bite out of her komodo chicken. "She's been saying all type of shit about you," she said through chews. "What's up with that?"

Zuko simply shrugged and cut at his food and placed the meat into his mouth properly. "There's nothing going on. What are you talking about? And what is Katara saying about me?"

Toph scoffed, pointing her fork at him. "There is _too_ something going on! I can feel it, and when I feel something I am never wrong!" She took another bite of her chicken, gulped down her tea and belched loudly.

Zuko, undisturbed by her un-lady like manners, continued to eat. "What has she been saying about me?"

"Well, she always talks about how you're such a hot headed jerk that won't seem to leave her alone," she started. "And she always tells me that she's tired of you asking her about telling Mai about you guys' little relationship."

"Really?" Zuko took a sip of his tea.

Toph nodded her head and placed her feet up on the dining table. "If you want my opinion, I think she still has some feelings for little Zuzu." The firelord choked on his drink and spit it out quickly. Toph laughed, "If I knew you were going to act like this, I wouldn't have told you!"

He coughed. "You're kidding, right?"

The earthbender laughed even harder, wiping an imaginary tear out of her eye. "You're hilarious! And no, I'm not kidding. Go ask her sometime, I sure she'll lie to you."

"Lie to me? Why the hell would she have to lie to me for? She doesn't like me anymore!" he exclaimed, clearly surprised by what his earthbender friend had told him. "Besides, she has Kang!"

She scoffed. "Like that'll stop her. Do you know what she told me?"

Zuko wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at her, almost afraid to answer. "What?"

Toph smirked. _Too easy. _ "She wants you to take her on one of the palace beds."

"And do what?"

Toph frowned. "What else would you do on a bed besides sleep, stupid?"

Zuko froze. His body was unmoving; his mouth was slightly open, the color drained from his face as he stared wide-eyed at her. "She said that?"

Toph shrugged. "I mean, not necessarily."

"Did she say that?" he repeated.

She rolled her eyes. "No. But I'm sure she thinks it all the time. Just think about it, Zuko, you and her back together, that would be amazing wouldn't it?" Zuko didn't answer her. She laughed to herself, she had caught him.

"No," Zuko said. "I'm sure Katara's not even thinking about me, and I'm not thinking about her. What we had back then was something, but now I'm married, she has Kang and I have Mai. I'm happy."

Toph narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you, Zuko? Are you truly happy?"

"Yeah." He said quickly, too quickly.

"You don't seem so sure..."

He shrugged. He had to admit. His relationship with Mai hadn't been going as smoothly as he expected it would be. There was no excitement in his relationship anymore, only distrust and continuous skepticism on Mai's part, however. Though, he wouldn't say he was unhappy. Honestly, he wouldn't know what to say about his relationship with Mai.

Now that things have stirred up with Katara again, he feels more of a contentment towards her, even if she is sleeping with one of his best friends. Yet he won't admit it, Zuko's attraction for the waterbender had never left him, it was always there. But now as a married man he was supposed to get rid of all those feelings, to forget everything that happened between them. But the truth was he didn't want to. He cherished those moments he had with her. Her smile, her laugh, everything about her was…alluring.

"Hey, Sparky!" Toph loudly snapped her fingers, bringing the firelord out of his thoughts. "Look, you need to get some things straight with your wife before your marriage ends in a divorce." Zuko grunted at the idea. "You need to realize where your relationship stands with Katara, too."

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes at the blind bandit. "There is nothing I need to sort out with Katara, Toph."

Toph seemed to grow irritated by his statement and she looked at him with a growing frown. "Whatever, just don't come crying to me when your heart gets broken, lover boy." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "What are you asking me to do, Toph? I'm a married man. I can't just go off with other women. Mai would be—"

"Mai would be what?" she asked. "Mad? As if she isn't like that every day, Zuko."

"Are you asking me to cheat on my wife? No, I can't do that." Zuko pushed his plate forward, losing his appetite of the food he was just eating. "Katara's off limits for me, she's Kang's. If I were to—…no, I'm not doing it, Toph."

Toph shrugged and stood up from her chair. "Fine, suit yourself, Sparky." She grabbed at Zuko's uneaten piece of Komodo chicken and bit into it, "but if you change your mind. You know where to find me."

"I won't be changing my mind, Toph," the firelord muttered.

"Okay," she said slowly, starting to walk away from the table. "Have a great rest of the evening, Zuko."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

***Read and Review. Yeah, I know pretty late update. But this was a long one here. I'm trying to finish up the other chapters so I won't have to keep anyone waiting. But there you go chapter 4. And gimme some time on the next chapter cuz I've been having a little writers block, just a little though. Give me any comments or questions or concerns, and I WILL get back to answering you. Review Please! Oh, and Ive been getting a lot of guest reviews, login people, lemme know who you really are! But a review is a review so…lol Thanks a lot!***


	5. Chapter 5

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**...**

**Chapter 5**

A small knock on Zuko's office door had interrupted his thoughts. He grunted, but let out a loud 'come in'. Slightly surprised by who had come inside, he hid his amazement with a small smile. "Aang, what a surprise...I wasn't expecting you. Come on in."

The avatar smiled politely at his longtime friend and slowly closed the door behind him. "Were you busy?"

Zuko cleared his throat and shook his head, deciding it wasn't a great idea to tell the air nomad that he had been in deep thought of his ex-girlfriend. "No, I'm not busy at all. What is on your mind?"

"Honestly?" the firelord nodded, almost frowning at the boy's question. "Well, yesterday I found out that Katara's in a relationship with Kang. Have you heard about them?"

Zuko felt the annoying thumps in his eye as Aang said the word _relationship_ and _Katara_ in the same sentence. "I have heard the news...unfortunately." he muttered.

"I can't believe she would do such a thing!" Aang exclaimed. "Out of everyone in the firenation, she chose Kang; one of the firenation general's sons." Aang huffed.

Zuko raised his eyebrow in awe. He had never really witnessed the airbender in true disappointment or anger for that matter, and to see him like this over Katara was stunning. "Maybe it was for the best, Aang."

He shook his head. "No, I don't res111ally know who this Kang guy is, but I know he isn't good for her."

"Kang is one of my good friends, actually," Zuko stated with a small smirk. "Do you think that they are not good for each other?"

Aang frowned. "Do you think they're good for each other?"

Zuko cleared his throat once more. "My opinion doesn't even matter, I am a married man. Katara and her 'boy toys' may do as they please with one another."

Aang sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and grunted in disgust. "I hate that word...boy toy." Zuko tried to hide his grin, but the avatar had scoped it. "You laughing does nothing to help the situation, Zuko."

He shrugged. "Your innocence is very amusing."

The avatar rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me for being raised by the monks, where we believed that a _girl_ should not be violating her body by sleeping with different men every single week."

Zuko frowned in disapproval. "Firstly, Katara's a woman, and she may do as she pleases. And I'm pretty sure her and Kang are only seeing each other, making them a couple." Aang flopped down in the chair sitting across from Zuko's desk. "You seem disappointed."

"I miss her," Aang stated. Zuko absent mindedly nodded in approval, clearly thinking about the three words Aang had just spoken. "You miss her, too?" Aang asked.

Zuko, realizing his mistake, mentally slapped his forehead. "I miss her innocence, I guess." It was a lie, of course. He had been the first person to take away her innocence, and the first person to officially 'break her heart', he was told. Zuko sighed. Could he be the cause of all of this?

"Maybe, you should talk with her," Aang said, breaking the firelord out of his thoughts once again.

He shook his head. "Katara has her own motives. I'm sure me talking to her won't make a difference...besides, she and I aren't necessarily on good terms right now."

"Why not?"

"Nothing...just a frivolous argument."

"It must not be too frivolous if you guys aren't getting along," the avatar said. "The monks used to tell me that if you aren't in agreement with someone, make sure you do your part and show that you are regretful about the situation."

"Yeah, well that was more than 100 years ago, things have changed," the firelord decided to direct the question back towards the avatar. "Have you tried talking to Katara?"

Aang nodded. "I have, the other day, actually. That was when I figured out she was seeing Kang." He turned to look up at Zuko. "That's why you should talk with her. You guys seemed to have a good relationship even if Katara did used to hate your guts. It always seemed so weird, her laughing at your jokes, her continuous long stares when we used to train together." He paused to take a breath. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Katara used to like you..."

"Yeah, used to," he mumbled. He raised his eyebrow at the teen. "As time went on, we liked each other as friends. We were good friends."

Aang stared at him in confusion. "Were?"

He nodded his head in agreement. "Were."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I hate Zuko," Katara stated to her Kyoshi warrior friend. She picked up a small stick and tossed it into the small pond in the garden. "I really hate him and his big ego.

Suki laughed. "Because he certainly has a big one, huh?" she winked at her.

Katara raised an eyebrow at her and frowned, glaring at her in disgust, to Suki's surprise. "Shut up. You know what I mean. He thinks he can just waltz into my life and tell me he's gonna tell the world about our relationship. What type of shit is that?"

"Katara calm down," Suki told her friend, holding her arm from throwing a rock at a baby turtle duck swimming towards its mother. "It's Zuko; you should already know how he's going to act. Besides, Mai's his wife, shouldn't he at least tell her?"

"Hell no. That would mess up everything."

Suki rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What would telling Mai 'mess up', Katara?"

"Their relationship!"

The Kyoshi warrior rolled her eyes, not quite pleased with her excuse of an answer. "Because you definitely care about Mai and Zuko's marriage. C'mon, Katara, what's the real reason?"

"Just that!" she exclaimed. "If Zuko tells Mai about us, she'll possibly spread the word around, and soon the whole firenation will know about us. And whenever someone sees me and Zuko together, they'll think Zuko is cheating on his wife!"

"Quit over exaggerating, Katara," Suki hit her friend on the arm. "You're taking this too seriously. The most Mai would do is get angry at Zuko for not telling her sooner, and maybe a few threats at you. I'm pretty sure this situation would be kept low key."

Katara shook her head slowly, sitting down in the rocking bench. "Mai already hates me. If she found out about this, she'd probably..." her voice trailed off.

"But keeping this away from her, is potentially breaking up Zuko and Mai's marriage," Suki sat down next to Katara. "I know you don't actually care for their marriage, but maybe you and Mai should have a little talk about you and Zuko's past relationship, even if it was 2 to 3 year ago."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement. "Maybe me talking to her about it could probably take off some tension she's giving Zuko right now." Suki patted her thigh.

"I'm sure it will. As long as you don't mention anything about your strong desires for her husband, everything will go just fine," she smirked at the disappointing look her friend was giving her.

"Oh, shut up, will you."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I have a surprise for you today," Sokka said once he reached the ex-princesses cell. He dangled the key loosely in his thumb and index finger. "I took the guards key again. They actually are pretty inattentive to me taking their keys."

"Oh, goody," Azula said in a bored tone, staring at her low cut nails. "Were you planning on giving me a tour of the asylum?"

"No," he said proudly, giving her a big grin.

"Then what?" said Azula, not even half as enthusiastic as Sokka was.

"We're going to go out in to the garden! I'm surprised that they never let you out, you'd love it!" He smiled at Azula, and she frowned in response. "What? Do you not like flowers and sunshine? Or did your daddy tell you to destroy that, too."

She smirked at his witty comment. "Oh, please, Sokka, if I wanted to destroy any type of flower I would have already done it years ago. And, besides, the sun is practically my element, well, was."

"So you'll go to the garden with me?" Sokka was still grinning.

She crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "as if you'll get past the guards."

"They shouldn't mind me taking you out for some fresh air."

She rolled her eyes. "Assuming that they are a lot smarter than you, I'm sure they would. Besides, why would they want an ex-princess, who almost destroyed the nation roaming around their garden? It would be almost an insult."

He shrugged, deciding it hadn't been a good idea to mention the garden to her. "Well, I just thought you'd want to take a break from being in here; to maybe see how the world has changed in a couple years."

Azula stared at him with disgust. "Why the hell would I want to do that?"

"I don't know...never mind...just forget I said anything."

Azula frowned first before realizing what the watertribeman was suggesting. She dramatically sighed. "Fine, I'll go with you."

"Really?" he said, smiling.

"Yes, now unlock the door," she ordered.

Sokka hesitated with the key, holding it in the latch. A suspicious look was growing on to his face; a mixture of worry and anxiety. "But you have to promise me that you're not going to do anything that will make the guards have to—"

"What? Kill me?" She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Sokka. I know when to fight my battles, and I know when not to. Besides, I didn't kill you when you decided to come in my cell the last time you were here."

Sokka blushed slightly, "That was on instinct."

"Of course," she said in a mischievous slow tone. Muttering to himself, he slowly pulled the key out and stared at her. Azula frowned. "What did I tell you about that? You know I hate to be stared at?" Her eyebrow rose in confusion as she saw him placing the key back into his pocket.

"We could go to the garden another time."

"Ah, so you don't trust me? After all we've been through, everything I've spoken to you...you still find me unworthy of your trust."

Sokka narrowed his eyes at her. "Just because you told me some secrets doesn't necessarily mean anything. I'm sorry, but yes, I just don't trust you just yet. I don't know why, but it's hard for me to—"

"Take a walk with an ex-princess in the garden?" she suggested simply, raising an eyebrow at him. "I guess I could understand that. Being a skilled fighter, I could easily take down guards and escape this hell hole of a prison."

"I thought you said the best thing that could happen in this place is death?"

"It is," she said in a chilling tone, "except I don't want to be killed by these petty people Zuko calls his _guards_. They can be simple killed by one swift kick to the throat. With or without my firebending, I am still a deadly adversary," she spoke proudly.

He shook his head in confusion. "You are giving yourself away, you know."

"Like anyone didn't know this information," she said with a bitter laugh. "If anyone comes into this cell, I could easily kill them. That's why no guard ever dares to come in here. That's why no guards allow me to go out."

"I'm here, and I actually came into your cell. You didn't kill me."

The ex-princess held in her astonishment. "Well you're a worthless peasant with nothing to lose. Of course I wouldn't kill you. There's no point."

Sokka shook his head at the mention of her saying the word _peasant_. "This peasant gave you that scar on your neck," he pointed to the scar just below her neck. "I don't think I'm too worthless, Azula."

"That is true," she admitted. She stood up, reaching her hand out for him through the bars. "Come in, I wanna show you something," Sokka just stood there, in shock that the princess was allowing him to come into her cell. "Come on, I'll show you the scar."

"A-Azula, you don't have to."

"I know. Come in," she repeated sternly.

"I can just stand out here." She rolled her eyes once more and placed her hands on either sides of her shirt and slipped it off. Sokka quickly closed his eyes at the stripping girl. "Azula, really?"

She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head in disbelief. "You can look now."

Sokka slowly opened his eyes and looked at the girl. She was wearing her bindings, _thank Agni_, but Sokka could see the damage his sword had done to her. The red, jagged scar line traveled lower than just at her neck. It started below her neck and ended just above her belly button. He bit the inside of his jaw, wishing she hadn't shown him. "I'm sorry." He looked away from her.

"For what?" she slid her shirt back on.

"For giving you that."

"Don't be ridiculous. I would've done the same to you if I had a sword and knew how to use it," He looked back up to her. She was sitting with one knee bent, sitting on her leg.

"Why did you show me that?"

She shrugged, cocking her head to the side. "I'm sure you wanted to see it, right?"

He blushed, looking everywhere but at the girl he was with. "I mean, you were talking to me about being worthless, I didn't expect for you to...—to show me that. It was very bold of you."

"So I shouldn't have done it, you're saying?"

"No," he said quickly. "I just...it was very abrupt, ok."

"Are you saying you were appalled by me taking off my shirt?"

Sokka sighed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "No, I liked...I mean, I—it was very..." she raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue. He sighed again. "I wasn't appalled by it, Azula. I actually feel sorry for hurting you like that. But my hatred for you back then was strong," he looked away from her. "Back then and I actually wanted to kill you. But now, I feel a sort of regret, because now you seem to be—" he paused.

"What?"

"You seem different. After these couple days spent with you, I see the change, and it's a good change." He smiled meekly. "I think these little sessions we have together changed the both of us. You have the qualities of a friend."

She scoffed. "So you're saying that you want me, Azula, ex-princess of the firenation to be your loving friend."  
"No, that's not it."

"Way to be subtle…" she said, staring blankly in front of him.

Before Sokka could speak, loud, thundering knocking echoed through the cell, it was time for Sokka to leave. Sokka stood up off of the ground and sighed. "You've changed a lot in these past days I've been with you. You're a good person, Azula. And I wouldn't mind us being friends." With a small smile, he turned on his heels and left the cell, leaving Azula in a state of awe.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Katara, what a bitter surprise," Mai's eyebrows scrunched together just slightly. "You were the last person I'd thought would come in here," she spoke in a bored low tone. "Nonetheless, what is it?"

Katara frowned, but held her tongue from outright cursing out the firelord's wife. "I wanted to talk about what happened the other day. I heard you were quite upset about the whole thing."

"It was unexpected, but I completely understand," Her face was perfectly calm, if not unconcerned. She shrugged and lifted one of her knives, sliding the silky, reddish cloth over backside of the blade.

"What do you mean by you 'completely understand'?" Katara asked, raising her eyebrow at her, giving her a confused expression. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to speak. "If you 'completely understand' why did you blow up when Zuko and I were _just _talking?"

She was vaguely annoyed, but she continued to clean her knives as if nothing had went wrong. "I completely understand why you want him, Katara." She sighed. "I mean, who wouldn't want to hook up with the firelord."

Katara cocked her head to side and stared at the girl in pure disgust. "What are you implying, Mai?"

"I'm implying that you want Zuko all to yourself."

Katara raised her eyebrow and eyed her suspiciously. "And you somehow came up with all of this just because Zuko and I were just talking?" She scoffed. "That's some imagination you have there, Mai."

Mai just stared at her, holding a bored grimace on her face, while the waterbender spat out her irrelevant excuses. A couple of moments passed before she replied, "Say what you want, Katara, but you can't deny it."

Katara glared at her ex-lovers wife. No wonder Azula had picked Mai as one of her friends. As emotionless and heartless as the girl appeared to be, she clearly was a devious, dishonest, bi—girl that Zuko, also, appeared to be in love with. Katara silently cringed. What was she thinking? Coming to tell Mai about her relationship with Zuko was an outright waste of time, time she could've been spending with Kang….

"You know what, Mai?" Katara abruptly spoke, cutting the other women off her speech. "I didn't come here to argue with you. But apparently you insist on pursuing that." She started to make her way out of the firelady's room. "Maybe next time we could actually have a civilized conversation without you being jealous." Katara placed her hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

"You think that I am jealous?" Mai asked in an incredulous tone.

Katara paused. "Well, yeah, you wouldn't be arguing with me if you weren't. Don't try to deny it, Mai. You're jealous." Katara crossed her arms over her chest and smirked slightly, realizing that she had stricken a nerve with the girl. "But the question is why would the firelady be jealous over a simple girl like me? You're married to, Zuko, I'm not."

"Shut up," she muttered.

But Katara continued as if she hadn't heard her. "You're married to the richest and, well, handsomest man in the firenation, why would you be jealous of me?"

Mai frowned, stabbing her dagger into the table she was leaning against. "You just said he was the handsomest man in the firenation. Does that give you your answer, _peasant_?"

The waterbender pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the firelady. Closing the door, she clenched both of her fists. "_Peasant_?" she shook her head and laughed bitterly. "I'll have you know that this peasant has done more things with your husband than you can ever think of doing." With a scowling frown on her face, Katara proudly walked out of the firelady's room, slamming the door behind her.

"Of course you have," Mai said, with a sly smirk growing on her face.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Zuko took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not he should go into the room. From what Sokka told him, his sister seemed to be in good spirits whenever he came to talk with her. But he wasn't Sokka, and he was sure as hell that Azula wasn't going to be pleased that he was coming into her cell; the cell that he put her in…

Pushing all of his thoughts aside, he shook his head slowly and pushed the door open. Startled by the coldness of the room, he stared disgustedly at how the room appeared. For an asylum, the least they could do was try to make the room a little bit homier. Besides the irritating chills the room gave, it was practically pitch dark in the room, except for two barred windows on either side of the room. He lit a small fire in the palm of his hand, illuminating the room considerably, mentally reminding himself to come in the daytime the next time he came back.

Feeling something crawl over the top of his shoes, he looked down and saw two mice looking up at him in a sort of confusion. "Ah!" He sent a fireball at the two animals, but the two had already scurried away, sensing the firelord's fear. Zuko took a step back, regretting Sokka talking him into giving his sister a "friendly" visit.

"Don't worry about the mice, they usually don't bother you unless you bother them," a cold voice said into the dark silence.

"Azula."

"The one and only," the ex-princess said with a dramatic sigh. "If I knew the firelord was going to be coming in here I would have tidied up my cell a little bit better." Azula stood up from off of her bed and picked up a dirtied shirt she had worn recently and placed it on her bed.

Zuko sighed and walked towards his sister's cell, allowing for him to get a better look at her. She was older, much older than when he had last seen her; two years ago. "I thought I'd see how my sister was doing."

"Woo-fucking-hoo," Azula sat back down on her bed and crossed her legs over the other, staring at her now dirtied up nails. "A visit from my beloved brother," she shook her head at him. "Did Sokka put you up to this?"

"He might've mentioned it." He spoke confidently, not alarmed by her language. "He's said that the sessions have been going well?"

She cocked her head to the side and surveyed him severely. "He told you that?

"Yes, he um…said that you were doing quite well with him," Zuko hesitated before continuing. "How have you been, Azula? I know that the asylum hasn't been treating you with that much respect—"

She laughed, which surprised the scarred man greatly. "Well, what would you expect? This isn't the royal palace, Zuzu."

"I know," he said, frowning at the reference of his old nickname. "I told the guards to treat you like the other prisoners, not like some poor, savage peasant." The corners of his sisters mouth curved upward into a small smirk. Zuko held the flame up closer to the cell. "Two smiles in one day; Sokka was right about the progress."

Again she laughed at this. "I'm amused that you think that Sokka is actually 'helping' me out. Tell me, Zuko, what was your purpose for all of this?"

"To get you some help." She stared at him blankly. "I thought that if someone were to aide you, maybe you could return to the palace."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Please, Zuko, as if the people would want me to return, including your little wife and the avatars friends. Trust me, the best thing they all want for me is death."

"I don't know about that and neither do you," he commented softly. "Besides that's their opinion. I'm the firelord, I make up the rules."

She shook her head slowly. "You have yet to understand politics, Zuko. The people get to have the last word. You see what they did to father, he's probably rotting in a cell right now, which I honestly don't care about," she paused, "but seeing what I did to the nation and its people, they will probably want to put me to death…burn me on a stake. Ironic isn't it?"

"Your bending was taken away for a reason, Azula. I know it's hard without your bending but—"

"Hard?" she spat venomously. "You don't even know the meaning of hard. It's impossible."

Zuko nodded his head in agreement. "I don't. But the avatar told me that you'll get used to it. But I was thinking that if you continue with these sessions with Sokka…maybe you could get it back?" His voice came out in a question more so than a statement.

"Why, aren't you so considerate, Zuzu," Azula muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm positive I won't be getting my bending back, but thanks for the blind consultation, you may take your leave now." She nodded at the cell door.

The firelord sighed at his sister's abrupt impatience. "I'm trying to help you, Azula."

"You departure would benefit me the most at this time. Better yet…." she paused and looked up at him, "bring in that Watertribe boy. He's more of a help than you are."

It was then Zuko's turn to roll his eyes. "I will mention that to Sokka the next time I see him today. Goodbye, Azula."

"Good night, brother."  
**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Katara stormed out of the firelady's room, slamming the door behind her, and walked quickly towards her room. "Could this day get any worse?" Taking a deep breath, she leaned against her doors and sighed, realizing that she had exposed the secret of her relationship with Zuko…to Mai.

"Hey, Katara." The firelord said behind her.

"Zuko!" Katara jumped, startled and embarrassed that the firelord had come up behind her without her noticing it. He must have just finished his training—he was shirtless, his body still glistening from his exertions. Katara forced herself to look into his golden eyes, inwardly shaking away the sensual thoughts, she said, "Look, I didn't mean to, ok?! Mai was just pressuring me and I just snapped on her."

Zuko raised one of his eyebrows, clearly confused by the watertribe girl's rant, wiping his face with a towel. "What's going on, 'Tara?"

She groaned outwardly, placing her hands over her face. "Will you quit calling me that?! That just makes the situation even worse." Looking up, she gave the scarred man a desperate look. "I kinda told Mai."

"Told her what?" Katara sighed dramatically. Opening her bedroom door, she grabbed on to the firelord's arm and pulled him inside. "Katara, what's the deal? You can't just pull me into your—"

"I told Mai about us."

Zuko hesitated, closing the door behind him, "You did what? What the hell were you thinking?!" He let out a sudden sigh, and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it shut, rethinking his words. With a little more success the firelord opened his mouth to speak, his voice coming out raspy, barely audible, "I thought we were gonna keep this to ourselves…."

"I know," Katara said softly, flopping face first onto her bed. "It just came out. She called me a fucking peasant!"

"Katara, you're the one who told me to not say anything to her!" He fumed quietly.

"Don't you think I know that!" she sat up from her bed and roamed around the room, pacing slowly. "I mean, I didn't necessarily tell her, I just kind of mentioned it."

He frowned. "Well, what did you say?"

She shrugged embarrassedly. "I told Mai that I've done more things to you than she can ever think of doing…"

Zuko frowned at the waterbender. Saying something like that so boldly, especially to his wife! He sighed, suddenly feeling lightheaded. He slowly sat down on her bed, resting his hands on his face. "Katara….Mai's gonna—"

"I know! Look, I can fix this ok," she said, sitting up, nervously tapping her fingers on her thigh.

"How?" he turned towards her. "How!" He said sternly.

Katara shook her head and groaned loudly. "I don't know." She looked up him. His golden eyes stared back at her cerulean blue ones with so much emotion; hurt, disappointment….desire? "What do you think?" she asked, quirking a brow and sitting back against the headboard of her bed.

Zuko shrugged. "I'm gonna have to just tell Mai the truth….she's just going to have to face the fact that we used to—"

"Fuck."

Zuko blushed madly at the thought. Katara…she really knew no boundaries, did she? He nervously cleared his throat. "I wouldn't necessarily say it like that to her, but it's going to have to come to that."

Katara stared at the scarred man and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Zuko." Zuko turned around and faced the waterbender. There was a slight hesitation before she spoke again. "I'm sorry for everything, for ignoring you, for ruining your relationship with Mai…for ending our relationship," she muttered.

The firebender reached out and placed his hand on the young woman's hand. "You don't have to be sorry for that, 'Tara."

"Do you ever miss it….us?" she asked meekly. Zuko pulled away from the girl, surprised that the girl had brought up their previous relationship. "Sorry, I just—I've been thinking about you a lot lately, because all of this drama has been circled around one thing—"

"I've been thinking about you a lot, too." He said, interrupting her. "And the thing is that I actually do regret our relationship ending. Don't get me wrong, I do love my relationship with Mai, but I can't keep a relationship when I'm still in love with the g—women I first laid eyes on."

"Zuko, I—…"

"Let me finish," he spoke softly, placing a warm hand back on hers. "I know that our relationship in the past was rough at some times, but I loved it, and I loved you through it all. To be honest, I sometimes ask myself why I married Mai, and you know the reason I come up with?" She shook her head. "It was because I couldn't get you out of my head. After we broke up, I was devastated. The only person I thought about was you, and I needed something…someone to make me stop thinking about you, and that's how Mai came back into my life."

"You broke it off, Zuko," she stated slowly, giving Zuko a small frown. "You're the one who said that we needed to end the relationship, because you thought that we couldn't handle it. You moved on."

"And you didn't?" he questioned cautiously. "I called it off because I knew that after the war things would change between us."

Katara scoffed and pushed Zuko off of her bed and stood up. "What exactly has changed between us, Zuko? If you didn't want to fucking break up with me, why the hell did you?" She placed her hands on her hips, clearly angered. "See this is why we have disagreements, because of the idiotic things that you do!"

"Idiotic?!" he yelled back at her.

She nodded at him. "Did I stutter, firelord?"

"Tell me one thing that I've done that was idiotic, Katara!" he gritted his teeth.

"This secret!" she threw up her hands up exasperation. "I'm tired of holding in this secret, Zuko. Why can't you tell Mai that we used to date? What is it that's so bad that you can't tell her?"

"You tell me, Katara, because you were the one begging to keep it a damn secret," he growled quietly.

"If we would have told Mai, none of this would be happening."

"What are you talking about?"

Katara shook her head. "I'm in a relationship with Kang, Zuko! But I can't stop thinking about you."

"Well I'm sorry about that!"

The ex-lovers stared at each other with a sort of hatred. The only thing being heard in the room was the light breathing of the two benders. Katara had crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground, while the firelord stared at the waterbender with an expression in mere puzzlement.

Shaking his head, Zuko sighed, but he doubted that she heard. He gave her a glare, but deep down, he had calmed down again. "Look, Katara, I think that—" but before he could finish, the waterbender quickly walked towards him and pressed her lips against his. She kissed him sweetly and rubbed her hips against him.

Zuko didn't hesitate to kiss her back, she made a soft, surprised sound and Zuko quickly stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Zuko I—"

"Don't apologize," he leaned into and kissed her again. Katara wrapped her own arms around his neck, clinging as he slanted his mouth across hers. Passionate was how Zuko would explain the kiss. But he wanted more than just passion. Lust built up inside of him as he felt the familiar touch of Katara's hands over his bare chest, the familiar territory as their tongues danced for dominance. But as soon as it started, it quickly ended with a small push on the chest from Katara.

She looked up at him, running her thumb along the bottom of his scar and then tracing a finger down his jaw line. "I'm sorry, Zuko."

"For what."

"Letting you go."

…**.**

***Please Read and Review. Yeah, late update. And I was actually kinda disappointed with this chapter. It seems a little rushed…idk, what do you guys think? But anyway, another chapter for you guys. I know its late, but I've been busy with college work and sports that I haven't really had that much time to do anything but exactly that. Give me some time, I will update. But if I don't, I will post an author's message saying that I have either discontinued or will be posting sooner than later. So just give me some time. Thanks again for the reviews.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer—I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**…..**

**Chapter 6**

She sensed something; Katara was clearly not herself. She watched as the waterbender strolled down the palaces hallway's with the firelord, laughing as if they were suddenly best friends again. However, as subtle as it was, the two of them were different, very different from when they were the past week. The earthbender narrowed her eyes at the merry duo.

"What's wrong with you two? She spoke suddenly. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. Katara and Zuko both stopped in their track and turned around surprised to see the blind bandit behind them.

"Toph, I didn't see you behind us," Zuko's tone did not hide the fact that he was disappointed that the girl had interrupted their "stroll" through the palace.

Toph raised one of her eyebrows, glancing back and forth between the firebender and the waterbender. "You seem different," she was speaking to both of them. "The last time I seen you two laughing like this was…well, I can't even remember."

Katara loudly cleared her throat, feeling a sudden awkwardness in the air between the three of them. "Um…is there a problem with me walking with Zuko?"

"Problem?" The corners of Toph's mouth curved upward into a mischievous smirk. There was no doubt there was something going on between Zuko and Katara. "You two seem to be doing pretty well."

"Why wouldn't we be?"

Toph nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought that you guys wouldn't be talking for some reason, seeing how everything has been pretty rough with you two in the past couple weeks we've been at the palace."

The firelord rubbed the back of his neck, and sheepishly cleared his own throat. "Things have changed. We both expressed our apologies and now we've moved on." Zuko looked over at Katara and smiled genuinely.

"So I'm guessing you took up that suggestion I mentioned the other day?" Toph questioned abruptly, with a growing smirk on her lips. "I figured it wouldn't be too long before you broke down." She let out a small chuckle.

Zuko frowned, holding a small, pink blush on his face. "I didn't take up any type of offer, Toph. Katara and I just…we just rekindled our feelings as friends."

"And something else…" the earthbender muttered to herself. "Either way, I'll let you guys go on your way. It seems like I have interrupted your little saunter through the palace grounds," she chuckled. Turning on her heels to leave, she said, "just don't get caught doing anything suspicious."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Suki sighed. It had been almost a month where Sokka would leave to visit the ex-princess of the firenation. Forking through her food on her plate, she pushed it forward, suddenly not in the mood for the stewed sea prunes and possum chicken.

"Why, Suki, I didn't think I'd see you here for the afternoon dinner," Iroh said in a cheerful tone. He softly patted her on her shoulder and slid into the seat next to her, thanking the servant who gave him a plate of food. "I'm usually here by myself."

Suki shrugged. "I was supposed to meet Sokka here before he went down to see Azula," she cringed at the mention of the firebender. "I guess he chose to be with _her_ instead of his own girlfriend."

"I don't think that may be the case, Kyoshi warrior," The older man chuckled, taking a bite of his own meal, chewing carefully. "I'm sure Sokka probably forgot; don't go to conclusions just yet."

"Ever since he's been with Azula, it seems as if he's been forgetting a lot of things lately, Iroh," She sighed, shaking her head slowly, "It's almost as if this relationship he has with Azula is more important than ours, like, I just don't understand why he agreed to this."

Iroh nodded his head in agreement. "It took me by surprise as well. But Zuko chose him for a reason, Suki. Don't underestimate Sokka's ability."

She scoffed. "Ability? What ability is that?"

"He's helping her change."

Suki shook her head and laughed bitterly. "No, Iroh, the only thing he's doing is putting himself in danger. Your niece does not need to be changed, and she cannot be changed. What she did…is enough for someone not to help her."

Iroh finished the last of his food and started to sip on his hot Ginseng tea. "So what do you suppose Sokka should do, Suki? Do you think that he should stop all the progress he may be having with Azula?"

"All I know it that he should quit seeing Azula." Suki stood up and nonchalantly shrugged. "If he's showing this much more attention towards her now, it's going to be a helluv-a-lot more later on."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"How did your session go with Zuko the other day?" the watertribeman asked loudly, shutting the cell door behind him. "He told me it went pretty well, but I thought I'd ask you for myself, you know."

The ex-princess rolled her eyes at him, grunting irritably. "It was fine, nothing special. However, the next time you set me and my brother up without telling me, you're going to regret it." She stared at her nails in boredom, not looking up at the young man.

Sitting on the cold, hard floor, he chuckled. "I'm sure you wouldn't do anything to me, Azula. Even if you weren't in jail or had your bending…well, actually you probably would do something if you had your bending…" he trailed off, suddenly thinking about the situation.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, she said, "but again you continue to come back, what adventure are you going to take me on today, Sokka?"

He shrugged, surprised the girl had even asked. "I don't know. Apparently, I was asked to come back here. I was actually going to ask you the same question," he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "You missed me, that's cute, that's real cute."

Azula raised her eyebrows, eyeing Sokka with interest. "Cute? The only reason why I asked for your company was because I was tired of my brother criticizing me."

"That's not what I heard."

"No?" said Azula, frowning slightly at the amusing tone he spoke in. "Then what was it that you heard? I precisely told my brother to call you to come to my cell, because he was boring me with his so called 'intellect' he tried to cast on me."

"Right," Sokka said slowly. "But either way I doubt you meant all of what you said anyway. I'm sure the only reason you wanted me to come was just to pester me about letting you out into the garden."

"I wasn't."

Sokka smiled, trying to contain from outright laughing at the girl. "So then what's the reason you told Zuko to call me back over here for?" She shrugged. "C'mon, Azula, I'm pretty sure you've grown to like me a little bit more as a friend."

"Grown to like you?" she asked, thoughtfully, with a small smirk growing on her own lips. "I don't think so, Sokka. You should know well enough that I only put up with you because I am supposed to. It was what the original deal decided on, wasn't it? The deal you and my brother put together about me…"

Sokka grunted, rolling his eyes at her. "Whatever you say, Azula. Just know that I've grown to like you more than when I first met you, since you don't want to admit anything to me."

"I don't have to admit anything I don't want to."

"So you're admitting that you have grown to like me as a friend."

"Perhaps I have."

Sokka gave her a wide, toothy grin. "Aww. So deep down wittle Azula actually does have feelings."

"Don't push it," she said boldly. "I don't even know why it's such a big deal anyway."

"Your 'nonchalantness' makes it even more of a big deal," he said, his smile widening at her response.

She scoffed. "Nonchalantness isn't even a word, stupid, for one, and apparently it must be a big deal to you, too, seeing how you're overreacting as if you have never had a friend before."

"Let's just say that being friends with the princess is something pretty special to me.

She turned her head away from him, feeling a mild blush grow onto her face. She tried to keep her composure regardless of the embarrassment she felt, "It would be special to anyone, peasant. I'm the princess."

"Was," Sokka muttered, clearing his throat at the same time. He shrugged his shoulders once he had caught glimpse of the princesses golden eyes, telling him that she had heard the comment. "I should be leaving; Zuko and I are going to a meeting about politics, unfortunately."

Azula lied back in her bed, clearly annoyed that her new friend was leaving her. "Of course Zuzu doesn't know what politics are or what they do. At times, I wonder why he was chosen to be firelord."

Sokka shrugged. "He was meant to be one. Though that does not necessarily mean you can't run by his side. Once you get out of here, you'll be like his right hand, his advisor, and is sister all wrapped up in one."

"I'm already his sister, dumdum." She shook her head, "But tell Suki I said hello, by the way. I'm sure she'll be excited to know that the princess of the firenation still remembers her name."

Sokka slapped his forehead, and loudly banged on the wall next to him. "Shit! I forgot all about Suki." He gritted his teeth, realizing that he had forgotten all about the dinner his girlfriend had planned for them earlier in the afternoon…yet, he had forgotten.

Azula smirked at the water tribesman reaction. "I'm certain she might have forgotten, too."

He shook his head and quickly pulled out the schedule Suki had given him the other day. It fell on the floor. Surprisingly, so was the pair of keys that unlocked the door to Azula's cell and the door. "No, Suki never forgets. She's gonna fucking kill me." He mindlessly picked up the book, not even realizing the keys he dropped on the floor.

"Then you'd better get back." She said, discreetly keeping her eyes on the two keys on the floor.

"Don't you think I know that?" Sokka gathered up his supplies. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, if that's ok with you." With those last words, he left out of the cell.

Azula blankly stared at the keys that lay still on the hard, cold ground. Had it been this easy all the time? For her to finally be able to escape…was this some sort of test? Looking up at the cell door, she hesitated; maybe the peasant had forgotten? She shook her head and sighed, that dumb peasant had no idea what was going through her mind right now. Then again, this was probably some sort of game he was playing with her, to gain her trust or some shit, but there was the key, the way out of this hell hole...sitting right there on the floor waiting for her to pick it up.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Katara dramatically sighed, she could not sleep. Though, she wasn't particularly surprised…Ever since this whole reunion with her former firebender lover, sleep had been greatly evading her.

Moving around in her bed, she flipped onto her side, trying to find a comfortable position, but to no avail, she groaned and lied back down on her back. She sighed again, this time out of boredom. Boring herself to sleep wasn't working. She was sure she sent a servant to get Suki, what was taking her so long.

A minute later she rolled onto her back and sighed. She could hear someone walking around outside of her room. Three small knocks were heard before Katara gave a soft 'Come in'. It was Suki.

Slowly closing the door quietly behind her, she stepped inside, but following right behind her was the blind bandit with a growing mischievous smile on her lips.

Katara frowned. "I don't think I invited you over here, Toph."

"Cool it, Sugar Queen. I already know about you and Sparky's rekindle." Toph rolled her eyes. "To be honest, I like the fact that you're sneaking behind Mai's back and fucking Zuko. It's kind of romantic sort of."

Katara raised her eyebrow at her earthbending friend. "Okay," she said slowly. She turned and looked over at Suki who shrugged her shoulder. "And I'm not having sex with Zuko, Toph. Where'd you get that idea from?"

The blind bandit shrugged. "I just wanted to see your reaction, that's all."

"What's your reason for calling us in here, Katara?" Suki walked over to one of her sofas and sat down.

She sighed before breaking the news to her two best friends. "I think I want Zuko back." Katara didn't mean for it to sound so bluntly, but the way Suki and Toph were currently gaping at her made her think that she should have approached this more subtle. "Okay, lemme rephrase that…"

"No, no you already 'rephrased' it well enough," Toph said with a small chuckle. "Little Katara wants Zuzu back."

"Are you serious, Katara?" Suki asked, holding a smile of her own on her face. "What made you come to this decision?"

"Well the other day, I kinda…kissed him."

Suki gasped loudly, while Toph, on the other hand, laughed hysterically. "Good going, Sweetness, I'm sure that sparked the fire back in Zuko. Mai's definitely going to get a kick outta this," she continued to laugh loudly.

"Quiet down, Toph! Do you want the whole palace to know?" Katara threw a pillow at the girl and frowned at her. She placed her hand on her forehead and lied back down in her bed. "I'm just so confused. I have Kang, but having another relationship with Zuko just seems so much more—"

"Erotic?" Toph said.

"Sensual?" Suki added.

"Actually, I was going to say passionate." Katara frowned and raised her eyebrow at the two of them.

"Well what are you going to do?" Suki asked. "Mai already is suspicious of the two of you. If she finds out that you guys are going to be secretly getting back together, she'll probably—"

"Zuko and I aren't secretly going to be getting back together!"

"Yet," Toph mumbled. "You're making it seem like you don't want this to happen, Katara. You need to tell Zuko how you truly feel about him, and quit bs-ing over the fact that you may still have feelings for him. You're leading him on if you don't tell him."

"She's right," Suki agreed. "But you have to first admit it yourself."

The waterbender groaned loudly, slightly irritated by what her friends were telling her, but she knew that they were right. "Ok…I'm just going to have to face the fact that I'm…falling back in love with Zuko."

"Great, now all we have to do is get Zuko to say the same thing, and you guys will be set," Toph clapped her hands and stood up. "I bet I can persuade Sparky to say that, and leave Mai, too."

"Don't do anything like that, Toph," Katara said, not surprised that the earthbender has mentioned that. "I want him to say it on his own, and if he leaves Mai, I want him to do it on his own as well." She sighed, "Besides, I'm sure he won't leave her…and I'm not necessarily trying to make him leave his wife.

Toph rolled her eyes. "That's no fun."

"It's not supposed to be, Toph. You're trying to toy with people's marriages," Suki shook her head and grabbed the earthbenders arms, pulling her up from the couch. "We'll get out of your hair, 'Tara. If you need anything, I'll come back, and it'll just be me this time," she muttered with a smile.

"Just don't fuck anything up, Katara," Toph said, placing her hand on the doorknob and opening the door. "You have a habit for doing that."

"Trust me, I won't."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"I wasn't trying to make it seem like a big deal, General Tao," the firelord said. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I was wondering about something, that's why I called this meeting."

The elder general grunted, but kept a calm composure as he listened to the firelord. "Then what was your purpose for calling this meeting, Firelord Zuko?"

Zuko sighed, suddenly feeling regretful for calling the meeting in the first place. "I went to visit my sister the other day," He hesitated once he heard the group erupt into loud mumbling over the ex-princess. "I talked to her about getting out of the asylum..."

"What are you asking?"

The firelord grimaced, and rubbed the side of his cheek. "I was thinking about taking Azula out of the asylum. I think that she's been doing well with Sokka, and I want to give her another chance."

General Tao laughed loudly. "Another chance? Are you serious? Firelord Zuko, excuse my interruption, but allowing Princess Azula to be released from the asylum is an absurd thing to do. Many civilians would not like that."

"Well, I didn't think I was trying to appease the pleasures of the civilians," Zuko mumbled. "Nevertheless, I would like to hear your other thoughts on the matter."

A younger general, General Chang said, "Not to be rude, Fire Lord Zuko, but General Tao might be onto something. Your sister is a threat to the firenation. Even without her firebending, she is still a great threat. Do you not remember what she did during the Day of Black Sun?" Many grumbles were heard around the table. "She was unstoppable, even without her bending."

Zuko frowned, disappointed that the younger general did not agree with him. "I understand what my sister did in the past, but I was told to not live in the past but to live in the present." Taking a deep breath, he pointed to General Tao and General Chang. "My sisters crimes could easily have put her to death, but I believe in second chances, and I also believe that I should give her a second chance not only as firelord, but also as her brother."

"You wouldn't say that if that wasn't your sister," another elder general said. "Princess Azula is a threat even in the asylum she is in. Taking her out would just cause more trouble for you and our nation as a whole!"

"General Li is right, Firelord Zuko. If Princess Azula was just a random woman, would you give her a second chance?" General Tao shook his head. "She almost killed you…isn't that enough for you _not_ to help her?"

Zuko gritted his teeth, holding in his temper. If he knew the generals would be this stubborn, he would not have had called the meeting together. Where was Sokka when he needed him? "Until further discussion, my decision stays as is. We will come back for another meeting over this topic once General Sokka has accompanied me with his thoughts on the matter at hand." Standing up, the Firelord swiftly pushed in his chair and left the room without another word.

He shook his head and sighed. The general's opinions were very true, but Azula was his sister, he could not just leave her to rot in an asylum cell or worse…death. No, he would not do that, for he would be acting like the princess herself. There had to be a way to manipulate the generals into allowing him to let his sister free. However, he still did not understand why he could not just let her out himself without consulting the generals. It was almost as if he had no say in the meeting, as if it was all up to the generals to figure out what to do to her, _his_ sister.

"You seem deep in thought?" a familiar voice said behind him. "What's on your mind?"

Before Zuko even turned around, he already knew whom the voice belonged to: The apathetic, cold voice of his wife…Mai. "I just came out of a meeting with a couple of the generals."

"And?"

Zuko shrugged, not really wanting to tell his wife that he was contemplating on releasing her ex-best friend from out of the asylum. Trying not to show any interest, he said, "We were deciding on the fate of a prisoner."

"Oh?" Mai's eyebrows twitched upward as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How did that go?"

"Not too well, actually," Zuko turned around to finally face the woman he called his wife. "I believe in second chances, but the generals have their own opinionated thoughts towards the prisoner."

"And this prisoner…" she hesitated as if deep in thought. "_They_ are in the cell because of a crime?"

"Yes." Zuko turned back around, letting his back face the bored toned woman. "But I don't want to talk about this right now. If you do not mind, I was planning to take a nap. I will see you at dinner." Slowly taking a step forward, he awaited her answer. However, once she did not answer, he continued to walk in a faster pace, reaching his room quicker than he had expected to.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Katara, what's wrong?" Kang asked, leaning in to kiss the waterbender on her neck. "I haven't seen you in two days. What's been going on?" The firebender hesitated once he realized that Katara did not want to be kissed.

Katara shrugged, leaning her head back on her headboard. "I'm just not in the mood right now, Kang."

Kang sighed, sat up on the young woman's bed and eventually stood up. "It's like you have been avoiding me…did I do something wrong?" Katara shook her head. "Then what's the problem. You're not on your lady thing are you?"

She rolled her eyes and grunted. "No, Kang, you wouldn't be in here if I was."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Nothing is the problem," she simply stated. "I've just been really busy lately and I haven't had time for you, that's all. There is nothing to be worried about, Kang. You're in here now, and that is all that matters."

"You don't have to be harsh about it."

Katara closed her eyes and bit the inside of her jaw. "I wasn't."

"Well, are we going to do anything?"

She frowned, but keeping her composure she said, "I didn't think we had to do anything. I called you in here so that could talk to about something." _What was this boys' problem_? "

"So no sex?"

She raised her eyebrow at him and slowly twisted her lips into a deep frown. "Do we always have to have sex every time you come into my room?" She didn't even allow him to speak. "What are we, Kang?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are we in a relationship?"

Kang ran a hand through his hand and sighed deeply. 'Yeah, Katara, I would hope we're in some type of relationship…why do you ask? Do you not feel the same way about something?" She scoffed. "What?"

Sighing, she pulled him back on the bed and leaned in to kiss him. "Never mind, just kiss me."

Kang raised his eyebrow in suspicion, hesitant. "Katara, he pressed his hands on his shoulders, pushing her back. "As much as I want to kiss you, I can tell that there is definitely something wrong with you?" She rolled her eyes at him. "Who is it?"

"Who is who?"

It was now the young firebender's turn to roll his own eyes. "You know who I'm talking about, 'Tara. Who or what is it? Who is ticking you off; you seem in a rush? What's going on?"

"There's nothing going on, Kang. Can you just drop the subject; I didn't call you in here to argue." Katara leaned back into him, but he pressed his hands back onto her shoulder, pushing her back once again. "What the fuck is your problem! I am practically throwing myself on you right now! What happened to the Kang I used to know?!"

Kang frowned, clearly knowing that there was something wrong with this girl. Katara never really "threw" herself onto him before and her doing it now was very suspicious…He shook his head slowly, and rubbed a warm hand down her cheek. "Katara, I'm still the same Kang. I just wanted to know what was wrong. You seem a little bit tense."

"Oh, so now you want to know about how I'm feeling?" Katara questioned bitterly. "And so what if I'm tense, that's why I called you in here!"

"Do you want me to give you a massage?" He asked politely.

The glare the waterbender gave him was so intimidating, that he actually had to turn away from her. "A massage? Are you fucking kidding me? Are you a masseuse now?" Katara fumed. "You've been around Aang too long, he's made you soft, and I can't go around fucking with _soft_ men."

She had done it. Kang's normally calm and pleasant demeanor slowly changed and his face contorted in an all-consuming anger. "Soft? Ok, now you've got it all wrong, Katara." Narrowing his eyes at her, his hands closed into a tight fists, he said, "I was just trying to be a good person to you, I think I'd owe you that, right? But no, you go on about calling me soft and relating me to the fucking avatar! Do I look like a 17-year-old kid to you? I don't think so!"

"Kang…"

He rose up his hands. "So before you start calling anyone soft, please realize that you're the one who came to me first and wanted me to listen to your feelings and shit." He let out a bitter laugh. "And to think I actually started to catch feelings with you…You're so ungrateful."

"I'm not," she stated. "The only thing I wanted was for you to be a friend back then, and now it ended up like this, just full on lame sex!"

"Lame?" he let out another bitter laugh. "The moans you would scream? The sex was definitely not lame, Katara. You enjoyed it, and do not deny it, because I certainly will not." He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Geez, Katara, if you wanted to see other people it would have been fine, but you did not have to act like our relationship meant nothing to you. Katara scoffed. "Did it mean something to you, Kang? Tell me!"

"It _did_," he stood up off her bed and gritted his teeth. "I thought you would have been better than this, 'Tara. I never would have expected this from you." He slowly started to walk towards the door. "If it was my fault, I'm sorry…I'm truly sorry." With those last words, he silently opened the door and left.

Katara placed her head in her hands and sighed. Hitting her head against the headboard of her bed, she felt guilty. Kang was right; she was ungrateful. She had an actual boyfriend that might have had loved her. Yet, she had to screw it up because of that stupid Firelord she was falling back in love with! She groaned loudly. Breaking up with Kang just to get back with Zuko was not a great thing to do. _Don't_ _fuck anything up, Katara,_ she could hear Toph's voice in the back of her head. She shook her head, she would fix this….she had to.

**….**

***Please Read and Review! Sorrrrrrrryyyyyyy for the late update, well early since it's 3:35am. But you know what I mean. Now before you throw rocks and whatever else at me, I told you that this chapter was going to take a while to update and put up on the website, so you can't blame me….well actually you can, but I warned you! Anyway, there you guys go, chapter 6! Please give me any feedback and always review, I got favorites, but please review for everything. I want to know what you think of the story and what I should do. Give me your thoughts please! Chapter 7 will be coming soon, but be patient, it will be updated. Ok, review and thanks again!***


	7. Chapter 7

***Disclaimer- I own nothing of Avatar: The Last Airbender***

**…..**

**Chapter 7**

"So you escaped?" Sokka asked, leaning against the ex-princesses door.

"Sokka?" the princess was startled to see the watertribeman standing in the front of the doorway. "What are you doing here? I never told you where—"

"Why did you leave?" He asked abruptly. "I asked the guards and everyone in the asylum…they didn't even know you had escaped until I realized you weren't in your cell."

"You wouldn't understand." She sighed. "All the times you came to see me…you kept me going…I thought you would understand. I thought you cared." Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips together. "The keys, you dropped the keys…"

Sokka closed the door and gritted his teeth together. "And that meant for you to escape?! Azula, you are being wanted around the whole firenation! Do you know what this means?" He did not wait for her to answer. "They will kill you if they find you."

"I'm not going back to the asylum, Sokka. I can't go back," she said softly. "All I want to do is start over. Do you understand that? I just want to start over again." She started to turn away from him, but he grabbed her forearm, pulling her back.

"You've done a lot of horrible things in your past, and I came to the asylum not only because Zuko told me to, but because I wanted to see you pay for it. I wanted to see you pay for all the things you've done." He took a deep breath and continued. "But the more I came, the more I realized how much you have been hurting and how much you have changed."

"Sokka—"

"And I did care," he stated. "And I still care, more than you know." He held her hands and pulled him towards her, pulling her into a hug. "The world might not be ready to accept that you've changed, but I am." He squeezed her, lightly kissing her on top of her forehead.

Azula did not know how to react. She wrapped her arms around the watertribeman and hugged him back tighter than he had expected her to do. There was hope for her, and even if she did not believe in it herself, she knew that Sokka was there on her side.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"Katara…" Zuko breathed out as the waterbender ran her hand down his chest, slowly opening the buttons to his robe at the same time. Once the robe was fully opened, Katara did not hesitate to lower her head to his chest, sucking gently on one of his nipples, teasing it with the tip of her tongue, scraping it with her teeth as it hardened. Zuko sucked in his breath as the waterbender continued.

But before Katara could even reach his other nipple, the firelord hastily threw off his robe and picked her up, placing her back on to the king sized bed. "Zuko…" but it was the waterbenders turn to go in shock. Zuko placed his mouth on hers and at the same time started to pull down Katara's chest bindings while she simultaneously ran her hand back down his perfectly, sculptured abs.

Straddling her hips, Zuko felt his erection twitching and growing in response to her movements. Seconds later she knew it, too, since she reached down with one hand and grasped it, stroking the firm length through his clothes. Groaning out, Zuko placed wet butterfly kisses starting from her neck down to her naval. Katara gasped, pulling her hand back wrapping her arms around the firelord's neck.

Teasingly kissing the inside of her thigh, Zuko slowly pulled the waterbenders underwear binding down, where a fully naked Katara lied in his presence. He was pleased; time had done the waterbender well.

"What?" she breathed out. "You can't just stop."

The corners of the firebender's lips curved upwards. "I know." With those last words, Zuko delved into Katara's womanhood. Katara moaned loudly as she clutched his hair. It was just like how she remembered it, though she did not remember it being _this_ good. The firebender had definitely been practicing his "tongue game".

Zuko smirked, as best as he could in the position he was in, and decided to continue the pleasure. He pressed his index finger against the tiny _nub_ and rubbed gently. Hearing her release a loud moan, he knew she was close. He continued to thrust his tongue in and out of her, and sooner than later….she screamed.

Zuko sat up and stared down at her, pleased with himself. It had been a long time since he had heard a scream like that before.

"That was…" Katara breathily started. "Amazing." The firebender pressed his lips against hers for a long, leisurely, probing, toe-curling kiss. Katara flinched as she could feel the growing erection on the firebender. She stared at the tent in his pants. "Do you want me to—"

Zuko shook his head and slid his robe back on. "No, this was a gift from me to you." He rolled off the bed and looked down at himself, smirking slightly. "I think I'm gonna go to my room and _adjust_ myself." He gave her one last peck on the lips and sneakily snuck out of the room, closing the door silently behind him.

Katara fells backwards on her bed, sighing in content. "As if things couldn't get any better."

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

Two loud knocks woke the drowsy waterbender from her nap. Groggily sliding out of the bed, she looked through the peephole. _Toph. _Rolling her eyes, she slid on _a _shirt and allowed the blind earth bender to come in.

"Toph, do you know what time it is?" Katara asked, sitting back down on her bed.

"Yeah, it's almost 5pm, dinner is in a couple minutes," the earthbender said, scrunching up her nose. "Were you sleeping? Have you been in this room the whole time? It smells like…" she frowned and turned her attention towards the waterbender. "Did you have Kang over?"

Katara coughed, choking on her own saliva. "Not recently, no….why? You don't smell him or anything do you?"

Grunting, she reached out and touched the waterbenders stomach, feeling the fabric. She shook her head, "Just as I had expected. Sparky was in here, wasn't he? Do not go lying on me either, Sweetness. I can smell him."

Katara groaned. "Okay! He was in here, geez, Toph."

She gave her a mischievous grin. "What did you guys do? C'mon, c'mon…" she poked her in the stomach.

"Nothing," she slapped the earthbenders hand away from her body. "We didn't do anything. We just talked."

"You're lying," she stated bluntly. "You guys did more than _just _talking, Sugar Queen." She crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled. "Just tell me." Katara sighed, blushing slightly.

"Lady Katara, Lady Toph," a servant bowed, standing in the front of the waterbenders doorway. "Lady Mai wishes for you to join them in dinner. The chefs have prepared a lovely meal for today."

A cold chill went through the waterbenders body as the fire lady's name was mentioned. _Did she know_ _what had happened_? _Why was she asking for her to come to the dinner_? "Did she just wish for us to join them?" she asked nervously.

The servant shook his head slowly. "She wishes for everyone to be present. She is going to be presenting an announcement, and she wishes everyone to be there."

"Will Zuko be there?" Toph asked bluntly.

"Yes, the firelord will be there," he stated. "Please, my lady's that is all the information I have been given to tell you. Please arrive promptly at 5pm." With a bow the servant quickly left, leaving the two young women back to the conversation they were previously having.

"You should get dressed," Toph said, pointing at the waterbenders closet. "I'm sure Mai wouldn't appreciate you wearing that to the dinner table." She smirked and left her friend to her business.

Katara flopped down on her bed and stared at her unopened dresser, sighing loudly.

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

"So, Katara," Mai started, blowing onto her soup and taking in a spoonful, "how have you been? Has the palace men and servants treated you well these couple of days?" Looking up from her soup, she gave the waterbender a small frown.

Cutting her chicken slowly, Katara nodded her head. "My stay here has been very pleasant. Thanks for asking."

"Dinner smells delicious," the firelord said, walking into the palace dining room with a small smirk on his face. He sat down next to Mai and patted her lightly on the thigh. "This was a great idea, Mai. Everything looks delicious."

The firelady grunted. "What took so long for you to come down here, Zuko? I promptly told everyone to be down her at 5pm?" She frowned as the watertribeman and the Kyoshi warrior walked in and took their seats. "It seems as if everyone just decided to be late huh?"

Sokka sighed, sitting next to his sister. "I had some business to take care of at the asylum." He glanced over at Zuko who gave him a confused frown. "It would be better to discuss in private, Zuko, after dinner, maybe." The firelord nodded his head and continued to eat his food.

Suki sat across from Sokka and shook her head slowly at him, but looked over at his sister who was intently staring at the firelord with interest. Sipping at her tea, she decided she would talk to her friend later.

"Katara," Zuko spoke, biting at a dumpling, "I'm surprised Kang isn't here…are you and he still doing ok?" Raising her eyebrow at him, she twisted her lips into a small frown. Catching the expression, Zuko said, "Sorry, I just thought he'd be with you."

"Why does it matter if he's with me or not?" she asked.

Mai chuckled. "I assume you two aren't on good terms, right?" she did not wait for the waterbender to respond, "I actually spoke to your _lover_ today, and he told me that you two had broken up because an _irrelevant _argument you had with him."

Katara bit the inside of her jaw and took a long sip of her tea. "We had an argument, but I doubt he'd tell you it was…irrelevant."

"No?" she questioned with a small smirk creeping onto her face. "Then what was the argument about then, if it wasn't irrelevant?"

"Quit it, Mai," Sokka sternly spoke, taking up for his sister. "This is a dinner, not a time for criticizing or arguing. Could we have a dinner without any type of petty bickering or disagreement?"

Mai grunted. "Okay, Sokka, how about we talk about you then? How has your visits with Azula been going?" She hid her smirk as the Kyoshi turned her attention towards her boyfriend. "I'm sure you guys are pretty good friends now, right?"

"We are actually," Sokka confidently spoke, "and my visits to the asylum have been very productive, by the way. Azula has been doing very well, and I believe she has the potential to live back in the firenation as a princess."

"How can you say that?" Suki suddenly spoke. "She's done so many horrible things, how can she be your friend? Why should she live back in the firenation? She should stay in the asylum!"

Mai ignored the Kyoshi warrior and continued to speak. "She's very manipulative, Sokka. She can make you believe anything; she's a snake in a human's body, and she's cunning, a seductress at times…" the eyebrows of Sokka's raised. Mai smirked, "She'll do anything to get what we wants…even befriending a watertribeman to escape the asylum."

Sokka slammed his fist down on the table. "Shut up! You have not even visited Azula since she has changed. She is not like how she used to be, she is different, even your own husband can tell you!" Sokka stared at his food. "If you believe she could never change…then you never really knew the true Azula."

Mai scoffed. "That's because there never was a 'true' Azula, stupid. Azula changes to whoever she thinks she can manipulate the easiest." She looked over at her husband. "You see, she couldn't choose her brother or the earthbender, they'd sniff her lies out in a heartbeat. She couldn't pick your sister or the Kyoshi warrior because they wouldn't even give her a chance," she smirked at the reaction the watertribeman was giving her, "and of course she couldn't pick me because I know her too well. The only person that was left was you and the avatar, and she was not going to pick a 17 year old air nomad that can bend the four elements, so that left you; a pathetic, non-bender with a boomerang and a sword." She laughed at herself.

Sokka shook his head and stood up, pushing his plate in front of him, suddenly not feeling the urge to eat the meal prepared. "You are a sick woman, for all we know maybe it was you who was the actual manipulator after all."

Mai sighed, placing a piece of dumpling into her own mouth. "Whatever you say."

"Sokka, please," Katara tried to calm her brother down.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, but if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to take care of." Everyone turned his or her attention to the watertribeman walking away.

"Mai, quit!" Zuko said sternly once Sokka had walked away. "This was no time for arguments."

"As if I can't get on you, too, Zuzu," she stated. "Where did you go earlier this afternoon? I had my servant search out for you, but they could not find you anywhere."

"I had to take care of some business," he said without hesitation. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," she spoke quietly. "As long as it wasn't with this water wench."

Katara frowned, having had enough of the firelady's talk. Squeezing her fork tightly in her hand, she hastily flicked the food off her fork onto the firelady's face.

She gasped. "You peasant!" Mai screamed. "This was silk!" Staring at her now ruined clothes, she picked up her bowl of soup and flipped it over towards Katara's direction.

Katara easily bended the soup out of her way, leaving vegetables and meat falling onto her own lap, but before she could retaliate, Mai hopped over the table and lunged for her.

"Mai!" The firelord yelled.

"Get her, Katara! Get her!" Toph cheered, rising up her own fist and taking a big gulp of her drink.

Rising up her fist, Mai immediately smashed her fist to the waterbenders face.

Katara grunted, realizing that she had bit her tongue in the process. Using her anger as energy, she used her bending to smack the knife thrower in her face, pushing her off her. She could see Zuko run over to the other side of the table but she had already balled up her fist in a ball of ice and swung it at his wife's face.

It was now Mai's turn to grunt, surprised that the waterbender had actually gotten a hit. Spitting out blood, she pulled out two daggers hidden up underneath her sleeves…

"Mai, don't!" Zuko yelled.

Before anyone could do anything, Mai sprinted towards Katara and dove at her, hitting her face again this time with the back of her dagger. Trying to dodge the second attack, Katara raised her arms to her face, but the firelady had used the other daggers to pin both of her arms tightly to the ground. She struck again…again…again...she could taste her own blood.

"This is from me," she swung again at the waterbenders now swelling face. "And this," she pressed the blade of her knife deeply into the waterbenders shoulder and pushed in slowly, pulling out quickly, "is for fucking my husband."

Katara screamed. The last thing she could remember was one last punch and an angry Zuko pulling his wife off her…then she blacked out.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled. He looked over at the earthbender and the Kyoshi warrior; they were on the floor…paralyzed…sleep? He hoped. "What did you do to them?!" He yelled.

Mai smirked. "A tea your uncle taught me how to make years ago. It blocks your chi."

"Sokka was right," he spat coldly, holding the waterbenders head up. "You're sick." He suddenly felt his legs go numb and his vision was fading. "You…you poisoned me, too!? How could you?!"

"Payback," she stated simply.

"For what," he yelled with the energy he had left. He fell back onto his back, dropping the waterbenders head back onto the floor. His arms were going numb, and so was his neck.

"For lying to me about Katara. You did sleep with her!"

"I didn't," he said in a raspy voice, his breathing was slowing down and he could feel his heart rate was decreasing.

"Then what do you call leaving her room earlier!" she was now yelling. "You can't just marry me and fuck with someone else, Zuko! You can't do that!"

"We didn't do anything," he whispered. "You don't trust me?"

"No," she tightly held the dagger in her hand. "But it doesn't matter, you won't remember this when you wake up so forget it. Everything will be back to normal when you wake up."

"What are you talk—" before he could even finish the sentence, Mai swung her fist at his jaw, knocking him out cold.

Mai shook her head slowly. "Servant! Clean this mess up. I do not want them remembering anything. Place them in their beds." She kicked the waterbender in her stomach.

"Don't you think that's enough?" a voice said behind her. "You are going to kill her."

The firelady smiled and turned around to face the firebender. "Oh, Kang, you're late. I know what I am doing. Just remember your job when the peasant wakes up!"

He rolled his eyes at her. "This was unnecessary, Mai."

"Was it?" she asked, as she watched the servants pick up the paralyzed bodies and place them on gurneys.

"Yes," he nodded his head slowly. "Maybe Zuko was right…maybe he didn't mess with Katara."

Mai grunted, pondering at the thought. She did all of this because she had thought her husband had slept with the water peasant. But maybe Kang was right, maybe he didn't. Was he right? Did she do all of this for nothing? Was this work of action a pointless reaction to jealousy?

"You are starting to remind me of Azula," he said softly.

She turned towards him and slapped him in his face. "Don't you ever compare me to her! I am nothing like her! Leave, leave and go do what I told you to do, and I do not want to see your face until the deed is done! Leave!"

Kang did not hesitate to walk away from the firelady's presence, but not before turning back around to see the firelady on her knees with her head in her hands in tears. He turned his attention back to the hallways ahead of him…

**ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...ATLA...A TLA...ATLA**

***Please read and review! Thanks for the reviews btw, please continue to review, review, review. PLEASE tell me how I did on this chapter. I know the chapter was not as long as I usually have them, but it is midterms at my college and studying has been taking a long time, so I decided to post something before I started studying for a while. But I do wish I could have added a little bit more. Nevertheless, there you go chapter 7 people! Review and tell me what you think about it. I will post another chapter so do not worry, my friends, this story is far from over. Thanks a lot!***


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